Justice Lords LIMITLESS Act 3: Whatever May Come
by Thoth.aKhronos
Summary: The Apocalypse was delayed then cancelled, but time goes on. A year later a new Justice League, led by Batman is rebuilding the trust the Justice Lords torched. But on the fringes of the universe, an old foe plots a vindictive return. And unlike the Dark Knight, this enemy has time on his side. Sequel to JLL: Act 2. Set in Justice Lords Universe.
1. Part 1: Chapter 1

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)** and then Act 2** ( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )** if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

-One Year Later-

Batman settled the Javelin in the docking bay of the Watchtower. As he went through proper procedure, he heard the sound of buckles unclasping from the chairs behind him, "You're supposed to remain seated until the craft is fully docked,"

Zatanna smirked behind the Dark Knight's head, "Thanks, 'Captain', but after tonight, I think we'll be okay to risk a little bit of a jostle," She walked to the rear ramp of the Javelin and waited to exit the craft.

Batman felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and looked to its owner, "Almost done, Mightor," he said to the superpowered caveman holding the magical club, "I know you're not one for enclosed spaces like this,"

"No,"

"Thank you for your help tonight,"

"Ok,"

The hydraulic hiss of the ramp lowering echoed through the Javelin and the curious caped caveman quickly rushed off the Javelin into the more open space of the docking bay, shouldering passed Zatanna.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Sorry!" Mightor yelled back.

Zatanna shook her head as she watched him run further into the hangar.

"He really doesn't like small spaces, does he, sister?" Wonder Woman exited the Javelin and stood by Zatanna.

"Must be his connection to the open spaces of the prehistoric Earth," Zatanna said, "Speaking of open spaces, do you know how much land in Gotham we had to cover to find you? We were this close to calling up B'wanna Beast," she held up her thumb and forefinger to measure out a minuscule amount of space, "This close!"

Wonder Woman pursed her lips in faux annoyance, "Don't you have a show to catch?"

"Oh, snap! You're right!" Zatanna put her hat on the floor upside down, and waved her wand, "_emoH ot latroP!_" With a flick of her wrist, magic leapt from the wand tip to the hat and a second later, the full-grown magician jumped into her hat as if it were a hole. A moment later, her hand poked out of the hat, grabbed the brim and then pulled that hat inside-out, causing it to vanish into thin air.

Wonder Woman shook her head at the mind-bending antic just as Batman descended the exit ramp, "Food?"

"Since you asked so politely,"

The two veteran heroes walked side by side to the hallway leading from the docking bay into the Watchtower proper. As they went, Batman asked Wonder Woman about the most recent mission. He had to know just how aware had she been.

"I'm glad Circe's properly locked up again, but I wish I could have been of more help… Truthfully, it's still pretty much a blur to me," she shrugged as they turned a corner, "Did I miss anything?" She looked, with honest eyes, to her companion.

Batman did his best to not react to her question but felt his eyes twitch in betrayal. Even so, his response was a dismissive one, "Not really. The important thing is that you're safe," He looked back forward and mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah…" Wonder Woman also turned her attention front, "Of course, that's not the only important thing," She did her best to not smile and barely succeeded, feeling the corners of her mouth slightly curve up. In the corner of her eye, she saw Batman turn his face back to her slightly, a questioning look on his face. So she decided to answer him: she began to hum.

The first notes from Wonder Woman caught Batman off-guard, then after a few more notes, he placed it as the song. His song. She kept humming and mentally he sang the second line, _Am I blue?_ He caught himself and had to stop walking. How could she know- _Zatanna..._

Batman stopped and watched Wonder Woman continue walking as she hummed the end of the stanza, rounding the corner out of his sight and heading to the cafeteria. He felt… content in watching her and afforded himself a smile at the thought.

* * *

-One Week Later-

In an empty desert in Nevada, two young climbers were making their way up the nearly vertical face of a rather large mesa. Their slow, painful process could barely be seen with the naked eye from the rocky ground, but after climbing for the better part of the morning, the two were nearly at the top.

"Remind me why we're doing this again? This specific mesa?" The young lady with her orange hair tied up in a functional ponytail sounded like she was ready to descend.

"Because," huffed her boyfriend, "Once we're up there," he paused and reached for the next crag in the rock. Once he was sure his grip was secure, he held on and pulled himself another few inches closer to the top, "We'll be able to see half of Nevada!"

The orange-haired girl gave him a look of disgust and halted her efforts, "That's it?" she asked, upset.

"Well, we'll be able to see the three towns close to these mesas, too!" The young African-American looked back down to his girlfriend and smiled nervously, hoping she'd still be game, "And with last night's meteor shower, I'm wondering if something made it through the atmosphere!" He resumed his climb.

The girl sighed, "You are so dumped when we get down from here," she watched him pull himself up and he disappeared over the ledge with what was probably a triumphant shout. She wasn't as sporting. As she reached for the following crag, her back leg's support crumbled and she felt herself slip against the mesa-side.

She managed to catch herself with her hands and found more stable footing. All the same, she glanced at the piton that was dug into the rocky wall for security. When she was sure the thing wouldn't be coming out anytime soon, she pushed herself a bit more and approached the next spot.

"A little help here?" She called out to her companion at the top but received no response, "Ugh, Billy?" She called out again but when he again said nothing, she pulled herself up alone to the next spot and looked for any hand hold she could use to climb up, _Yep. He's dumped._

She reached up and got her chalked hands on the edge of the mesa-top and with great struggle she managed to pull herself up, "Rule numero uno of rock climbing," She made sure that venom and displeasure dripped from her passive-aggressive words. She got one foot over the edge and pushed herself the full way up and then stood, "You never, _ever_ leave your gi-"

The rest of her sentence was lost in her throat. Billy was nowhere to be seen on the mesa top. Instead, a large metallic thing, probably a meteorite, sat on the top. It must have been at least two stories tall but what worried the girl the most was the fact it seemed almost… engineered but organic. There was a strange pulsing behind the purple sections of the rock.

"Billy…?" she called out a bit more quietly as she watched the thing pulse like a heart.

In response to her, she heard metallic squeaking and skittering, like insects, coming from within the 'rock'. In horror, her eyes turned down and away from the thing, only to see Billy's shoe lying discarded on the rocky ground.

She wanted to scream but nothing came out. Large metal spider-like things came from pores in the rock and swarmed in her direction. As they crawled over the shoe, she backed up in preparation to cut and run, but when her foot knocked a rock off the top of the mesa, she remembered that it was a long way down.

The first spider bot stabbed its metallic appendage into her foot and the burning sensation unlocked her voice. She screamed to the morning sun.

* * *

"This is a priority alert from U. S. space command. We are requesting a rapid response, forced deployment from Ellis Air Force Base, to contain and counter an extraterrestrial landing. This is not a drill!" Superman rewound the transmission and played it again for the League.

"Ellis Air Force Base is in the middle of nowhere Nevada isn't it?" Green Arrow asked, "Shouldn't they be able to handle this threat?"

"If by 'middle of nowhere Nevada' you mean 'near three rather large towns as well as a frequented National Park', then yes," Batman replied.

"That area had a meteor shower last night," Robin mentioned, "Something must have made it through,"

"My thoughts exactly," Batman agreed, "We need to mobilize," He turned and looked over those in attendance, "Black Canary, Green Arrow, Arsenal: you're with Wonder Woman. Fate, Superman, Mightor, you're with Robin. I'll take point in the Batplane,"

"Actually," Arsenal raised his hand sheepishly, "I have a previous engagement I have to attend. Not really something I can put off,"

Batman's eyes narrowed and Arsenal felt his confidence wither. Batman continued, leaving no further room for discussion, "It can wait. We will convene from two directions," He pointed on the holographic map to the point where the mystery rock landed, "At most two fly-overs in the Javelins before we begin our assault. Let's move,"

The heroes scattered from the briefing room and quickly made their way to the Watchtower hangar. Quickly, the Batplane and two Javelins shot out of the hidden fortress and built into the mountains of Montana set on a course for Nevada.

* * *

"Containment has failed and we are taking heavy losses!" A military commander stood with her pistol in one hand shooting at a multitude of drones while her other hand held a long-range sat-phone to her ear, "I repeat: we cannot contain them!"

Superman spoke to the League, "Sounds like the commander could use a little reassurance,"

Batman watched the large thing on the horizon grow closer, "Let's hope we can give it to her,"

"We'll give it to her," Wonder Woman assured, "And then some," she eyed the heroes in the chairs behind her with confidence. It felt good to be part of a team again, "Strength in numbers and all that,"

Robin gave the signal and Superman unlocked a rooftop hatch. The heroes Robin transported one by one flew out of his Javelin's roof, leaving him at the controls, "It's growing bigger. Somehow devouring everything around it and integrating it into itself,"

"And those spider-like things swarming out of it?"

Batman responded from the Batplane, "The same thing. And once they're done with the debris from the army attempting to beat them back, they'll likely spread out, taking down the three towns,"  
"That's not good,"

"Diana," Hawkman's voice came over the Watchtower's communications, "I have the communications feed from the general on the ground. I'll hack you in,"

Wonder Woman waited for a moment until she heard the ping signalling the connection had been opened successfully, "General, this is Wonder Woman of the Justice League,"

"Justice League?" the grizzled voice of an old but sharp minded man crackled over the comm unit, "I don't recall sending out a distress signal,"

"We go where we're needed,"

"Fine. This is General Eiling, USAF. We're in the process of evacuating the three nearest towns. We need those… things locked down,"

"Then the first task is containment," Wonder Woman acknowledged.

"I have something on board that may buy us a little more time," Batman swooped his Batplane low and readied the bomb bay door. As he flew, he took a note of Fate and Mightor. Both heroes were blasting out rays to destroy any of the self-replicating bots that came too close to evacuating military personnel on the mesa. Just as he flew over the extraterrestrial mass, Batman pressed a button and a large warhead fell from the belly of his craft.

On contact with the top of the mass, the bomb exploded and a gel-like solution coated the top and began to further coat the rest of the thing. He pulled up on the yoke and brought the Batplane into a steep climb.

On her approach, Wonder Woman observed Batman's handiwork, "Batman? What was that?"

"Fermionic gas. Cools on the atomic level,"

"And you just casually carry that around?"

"Had to freeze the Gotham River once. Don't want to be caught unprepared,"

Green Arrow rolled his eyes, "Because _that's_ an everyday occurrence in Gotham,"

"More or less, yes," Batman replied completely missing the sarcasm.

"Knock it off, Arrow," Wonder Woman landed her Javelin and Black Canary and Arsenal rushed off to join the battle, "Green Arrow, hit that dark heart with an EMP arrow. I want to see if we can short it out. Unless... Batman?"

"Yes," Batman banked away from the large thing as he gathered more data, "in the frozen state the fermionic solution is still conductive,"

"Go, Arrow!"

Green Arrow gave a quick salute and ran out of the Javelin just before Wonder Woman. As he ran by Black Canary, he called out to her, "Goin' my way?"

The blonde in the fishnets smirked after him, "Never thought I'd hear you asking for help," She gave a final screech to push back a group of robots then joined Green Arrow in his pursuit of high ground, "What are you trying to do?"

He drew an arrow and fired it at two approaching drones. The arrow exploded on contact and blew the two drones apart, "Higher ground, Black Canary. Going to hit it with an EMP arrow,"

"Okay, let me be more specific," Black Canary caught a drone that had leapt to her and screamed into its belly. The machine's armor ruptured and she tossed it away just as it began to repair itself, "Why did you call _me_ to join you?"

"You didn't think I could do this alone, did you?" He fired two more explosive arrows to further keep the drones and bay then began to climb a mound of rubble.

"As a matter of fact I did," Black Canary jumped after him and quickly the two clambered to the top of the rock heap. As Green Arrow rose higher, Black Canary used her supersonic power to stem the approaching wave of malicious drones.

Once at the top of the mound and certain Black Canary could hold off the robots, Green Arrow drew the EMP arrow and aimed for the center mass of the foreign machine generator. He said one final thing to his companion as he readied to fire, "Well, thank you very much," He released the arrow and watched it sail over the heads of his allies and the soldiers then over the massive legion of endless drones to the thing at the center.

From his spot, Mightor fired a few more energy beams from his club, searing the internal workings of a few drones then watched the arrow hit its mark, "Hurray!"

From his vantage point above the battle, Superman observed the arrow release its charge and soon the whole thing was shuddering and sparking. However, the DarkHeart did not cease, "No dice," he reported, "The thing is still churning out bots!"

"Oh, no!" Mightor waved his club and gathered some energy on its end. He slammed it into the ground, causing the ground between his legs to split. A number of the drones fell into the pit and Mightor fired his beam into the crevasse. With the drones unable to scatter out of the way in time, they were quickly vaporized.

"Wonder Woman, can you hear me?" General Eilling's voice came over Justice League coms, "I'm in the town of Gold Hanger, two clicks from you and we're not going to get everyone out in time,"

"I read you, General," Wonder Woman replied.

"Batman," Superman said, "we need to draw a perimeter around the thing until we can figure out what it is. Mightor's given me an idea, but we'd need more firepower,"

Batman pressed the trigger on his Batplane controls and missiles streaked out from ports on the wings, "You're talking about creating a moat?" His missiles hit the base of the generator just as another wave of spiders flowed out, blowing them to bits.

"Yes,"

"That could work for a time," Batman acknowledged, "If it is sufficiently deep enough, we could destroy them faster… and provide us more time to figure out what to do,"

"But where do we get that kind of firepower?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Mightor and I can create this trench," Fate replied quickly, "But in that time, you will have to be extra vigilant,"

Wonder Woman smashed through a few more robots then looked over her team. Robin and Arsenal were working together taking down a party of drones while Black Canary and Green Arrow were taking advantage of their high ground, "Superman?"

"I hear you, Diana," From above, Superman continued to rain down hell with his heat vision, "I'm barely through my first capsule anyway. I'll be fine,"

Wonder Woman directed her attention back to Mightor and Fate, "Do it!"

Fate took to the air and gestured for the heroic to join her, "Let us go, Mightor,"

"What?"

Batman gritted his teeth as he began another strafing run against the drones on the ground, "Someone fill in Mightor before he gets us all killed,"

"Be nice," Wonder Woman spoke softly to Batman as she shattered another drone, "He's doing his best,"

Fate led Mightor into the air and used a magical beam to carve out a half-circle through the mesa. The club-wielding hero caught on to the sorceress' goal and followed her lead, carving out the earth in the opposite direction with the beam from his club. When the two beams met, they had successfully created a one-hundred-meter deep gorge around the alien machine.

"Alright, we have it more or less contained," Green Arrow said as he fired an arrow, impaling a drone just before it could attack Black Canary, "What now?"

"Batman," Robin called out to his mentor, "I bet these things are nanotech and that's how they are repairing and modifying themselves. I think it's time Dr. Palmer's considers his invitation, don't you?"

"Agreed," Batman streaked over the thing in his armored plane, "We're not putting a dent in the thing itself and its army is apparently endless. Attacking head on is getting us nowhere. Fate," he called out to the mystic woman, "You recall Dr. Raymond Palmer's location?"

"Yes," Fate replied, "Afford me some time," An ankh-shaped portal of gold opened out of thin air and Fate floated through it leaving Mightor in the air alone.

But the magical caveman did not falter. He held his club in two hands and fired an energy beam straight down at the ground. The explosion of debris carried dozens of drones up and away. As they fell to the mesa-top, Superman flew among the group and smashed through each one with his fists.

"Good work, Mightor!" Superman cheered.

Batman soared over head and emptied out his plane's forward cannons until he got a warning notice on his heads-up display, "This is the last of my useful armaments. After this, I can't do anymore,"

Wonder Woman caught a pang of disappointment in his voice. She looked up as he raced overhead and two missiles shot out from the Batplane's wings. The two missiles hit the side of the DarkHeart and exploded.

As he flew over the meteorite, the icy covering cracked open and four large tiger-like robots landed on the Batplane. Immediately, they set to work biting and tearing at the Batplane's wings. Batman hit a button in his cockpit and the hull became electrified. Even though he could see that the bots were damaged by the shock, none of them released their hold on the Batplane.

One of the robotic tigers leapt and its claws pierced the bulletproof windshield much to Batman's dismay. He attached a chin-plate to his cowl for oxygen and pressed the button to open the canopy. The cockpit depressurized with a hiss and the canopy slid back.

The robot tiger lost its footing and tumbled from the roof to the back. Batman made a sharp left turn and hit the boosters on the Batplane. The high powered engines torched the robot to literal atoms but Batman celebrated no victory yet. He reached into his utility belt and drew out two exploding bat-a-rangs. With the flick of his wrists, the weapons were tossed out ahead at an angle and each struck a robot tiger on either wing, blowing them off.

He looked to each side to make certain that the tigers had been removed from the wing but his attention was grabbed by a metallic footstep on the fuselage before him. Batman looked forward into the metallic maw of the final robo-tiger. It opened its mouth and he saw the barrel of what seemed to be a gun among the many rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Batman reached down and pulled on his ejector lever. His seat blew out of the Batplane just as the jaws of the mechanical beast snapped shut. But the thing was not content at letting its prey escape; Batman heard, and then felt, gunfire coming from the mouth. He leaned away from the gunfire and felt the bullets plink against the back of his chair. His chair was bullet-resistant, but that only went so far against alien armaments.

He heard a disheartening 'dink' and immediately unbuckled himself from the chair. As he did, he felt a bullet tear through his shoulder armor and streak over his skin. The searing hot round definitely hit muscle and moving the arm in any direction caused pain. But he didn't have time to think about his injury as his chair, and thus his parachute, exploded above him, blown to shreds by the robo-tiger.

_Much too high and falling too fast to glide to safety. Not to mention my shoulder wouldn't be able to hold out against that strain in its injured state. Nothing to grapple either,_ his mind analyzed the situation but he wasn't happy with the only option for survival left, "Batman to all points: I could use some air support, since I can't fly. At all," He straightened out in the air and watched the rapidly approaching ground grow closer, "Now would be good,"

At the last moment, he felt himself be redirected, caught under a strong arm. He looked to his rescuer and frowned at her smile.

"How does the song go?" Wonder Woman jokingly asked, "'It's raining men'?"

"The spiders are forcing us back, and the mothership is now releasing mechanical attack tigers to protect them. Where's the Atom?"

"I'm here, Batman," Ray Palmer's voice came over the radio, "Fate has brought me up to speed,"

Batman looked to Wonder Woman, "We need to rendezvous with Fate and the Atom. Hurry!"

* * *

Robin and Arsenal smashed down three more of the bots and quickly regrouped to figure out a better strategy.

"I'm running out of ideas," Robin said. He threw another pair of explosive bat-a-rangs and blew another spider drone to bits, "Everytime we destroy one, we risk it rebuilding itself and continuing on!"

Arsenal fired another arrow from his bow, "Tell me something I don't know. I feel worse than useless here. My trick arrows are barely cutting it!" He fired an arrow, destroying one of the bots but was tackled down by another. He braced his bow between the consuming mouth of the spider creature and himself as he struggled to push the thing off.

Just when all hope seemed lost, a bat-a-rang stabbed into the head of the metal bot and an electrical discharge stunned it. Arsenal used the distraction to push off the beast and drive a timed explosive arrow into the heart of the metal spider, "Thanks, Robin,"

The Bird Wonder ducked below a leaping drone and stabbed up with a bat-a-rang at the same time, puncturing the drone's underbelly, "Don't mention it," He put a hand to his ear, "Batman, is that Dr. Palmer I hear? If so, please tell me he has an idea how to stop it,"

"Hey, kid, it's me,"

Robin slashed through another two drones and sighed as one of them reconstituted and advanced, "Welcome to our nightmare… Can you help?"

Batman's voice came over the radio, "Dr. Palmer, tell everyone what you told me,"

"It's amazing! These things build copies of themselves using whatever materials are around. It's not just about these three towns or even the desert: they'll go coast to coast. They'll use metal, rock, plastic-"

"People," Batman's sobering interjection reined the professor's awe back in.

"Yes," The Atom agreed gravely, "And destroying the replicated machines isn't enough. You have to get to the system's core control,"

Black Canary screamed into an advancing group and watched the fireworks, "You mean that's a mothership?"

"You have to understand, making metal out of rock is a microscopic process. The core control is issuing commands at a microscopic scale… You can't just smash up a machine the size of an infection,"

"Makes sense to me," Robin added, "Leave a crumb intact and that's enough for the whole thing to start all over again,"

"If you get me to the main ship and I can get inside, I may be able to reprogram it,"

"Batman to all points: we have a new plan. Green Arrow, get here and take Dr. Palmer to the machine,"

"Kinda busy, Bats," Green Arrow swung his bow, knocking a few drones to the side and Black Canary screamed at the bunch, shattering them. However, the two were afforded no time to celebrate as more and more slowly swarmed and ate away at the ground they were standing on.

Batman snarled to himself, "Fine. Arsenal, get here now. The archer will fire an arrow from my position to the Dark Heart with Dr. Palmer on the arrowhead. The rest of us will remain against the trench. We draw a line here,"

"Roger!" Arsenal made his way to Batman's position, "You got this side covered, Robin?"

"I'll deal,"

It took a few seconds but soon Arsenal had Dr. Palmer in his hand and was drawing his bow, "This is unreal," he said, "I gotta ask, Mr. Palmer, does it hurt to shrink?"

"It's 'Doctor'," The Atom responded slightly peeved, "And no. Not anymore. Now remember, the shot has to be precise, any deviation to the flight and I could be killed!"

Arsenal rolled his eyes behind his mask and drew his bow fully. He stilled his breath and just before he released the string, he whispered, "_Akriveia,_" then he released the arrow.


	2. Part 1: Chapter 2

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

The Atom held onto the arrow for dear life but felt little wind resistance and was even more surprised when a few of the larger robo-tigers would swipe at the arrow and yet always just miss it. Curiouser still, there was no bowing to the arrow, no shaking as he'd expected. If he didn't know better, he would have assumed the arrow was stationary and the world was moving around him. Regardless of the young archer's surprising show of skill, his destination was fast approaching and soon he would be diving into the belly of a machine John Von Neumann could only dream of fifty-odd years ago.

He braced for the expected jolt and as soon as the arrowhead had embedded itself into the side of the DarkHeart, The Atom leapt from the shaft and into the nearest orifice with hopes that it would connect him to the central system of the infernal machine.

"Dr. Palmer, are you inside?" Superman's worried voice came over the noise of his heat vision searing through another line of spider bots.

"Standby," Dr. Palmer replied as he made his way deeper into the machine. As he crested the hill before him, that was probably really only a few inches in height, he couldn't help but let out an abrupt "Wow!"

Batman heard the man, "What's your status?"

"Every atom of it is filled with books worth of info! It's beautifully simple, its-"

"Save it for the autopsy!" Green Arrow yelled, "We're dying out here!"

Dr. Palmer acquiesced and climbed up on the central organic controller for the DarkHeart, "I wonder if," He ran his fingers of a few microscopic controls and after a couple of green sparks, a holographic-like light shone, "As I suspected. It keeps a record of its history, even after duplication. Batman, can you hear me? It's a war machine!"

"What was your first clue?" Batman responded.

"Was that a joke?" Black Canary asked, "Never thought I'd hear that coming from you,"

"You just haven't hung out with him long enough," Green Arrow's smile could almost be heard over Justice League communications, "Guy's a riot,"

"Two planets at war. It's builders launched it at the other planet like a cruise missile... It ate the _entire _planet then followed its programming. Devour, reproduce, go to other planets," He continued skimming the history of the object. Unseen by Dr. Palmer, three metal tendrils slowly rose behind him, "It's probably come from galaxies away and it doesn't know the war is over. In fact, if I'm reading these glyphs correctly, the first machine was created over fifty thousand years ago!"

A shadow over his left shoulder got him to turn around. He saw the first tendril swing for him in time to jump out of the way. The thing slammed into the surface he'd just been accessing, discharging a small amount of energy on contact.

"Electrified metallic appendages, huh?" Ray dodged a second then a third tendril, "Fine and dandy, but you can't track what you can't see,"

His hands went for his belt buckle and he further reduced his size by a factor of fifteen. Once he was sure that the DarkHeart's immune response could no longer see him, he scoured the surface of the core for any sort of access port, "Come on, come on! Batman are you there?" He got nothing back, "I think the DarkHeart is jamming my comms, please let me know if you can hear me!"

* * *

"Atom? Atom, can you hear me? Dr. Palmer?" Batman pushed the mechanical tiger he was tangling with away and jabbed his electro-knuckles into the machine. The robot exploded, knocking Batman on his back. Before the Dark Knight could get up, the spider drones swarmed his body, holding him down.

Batman attempted in vain to free himself. The more he fought the monsters, the tighter they got. One of the spiders' mouths opened and a bunch of spinning blades revealed themselves. It inched closer and closer to his face, fighting against his struggle.

Right before it dug into his flesh, the spider was knocked away by a high-powered beam. Two more beams of energy blasted away another spider and then a hefty wooden club clobbered the remaining three from Batman's body.

Batman looked up to the smiling face of Mightor, "Welcome!" The heroic man out of time offered his hand to Batman and the veteran hero readily took it and stood.

"Take me near the Heart," Batman commanded.

Mightor smashed an approaching spider with his club then hooked his arms under Batman's armpits and took to the skies. Once the pair were further in the air and closer to the DarkHeart, Batman attempted again to contact The Atom, "Dr. Palmer, do you read me?"

Ray's voice came back, staticy but at least he was still alive, "It didn't break!"

Batman looked from the DarkHeart to Wonder Woman. She was struggling with an oversized spider. The DarkHeart was gaining more mass and creating larger robots of devastation. What was worse was that the smaller drone spiders had taken to devouring the mesa itself, effectively erasing the moat.

Batman watched as Fate blasted through a party of drones with one hand while she summoned a barrier of protection around some soldiers with the other, "We're about out of time, Doctor! What do you mean it didn't break?"

"I could not break the Heart! It…"

"It what?" Batman spat back, impatient.

* * *

The Atom held his injured left hand and watched with keen interest as a grape juice colored liquid rushed in purple organic pipes from peripheral systems directly into the Heart's central control, "I couldn't break the Heart…" then the light went off in the doctor's head, "But I bet I could give it a heart attack!"

"What are you talking about?"

"These arteries are feeding liquefied matter into the central processor, just like in a human," He wrapped his arms around one of the pipes and breathed a sigh of relief as he was able to squish it, "If I can interrupt that flow, starve it of matter... build up some pressure,"

He strained and grunted as the pressure from the opposing end of the tube attempted to clear the blockage he was creating and force itself between the vise of his arm and his body. Over the radio he could hear Green Arrow and Black Canary yelling out as they made their own last stand, "Come on..."

He heard Wonder Woman utter her prayer to Hera for strength as she no doubt was facing down a titan of a robot. He shifted his attention from his allies struggles outside to his own struggle within the DarkHeart, "Come on!"

The central processor began to seize up and shake. It wasn't receiving enough nutrients or material and it was about time, too. The Atom could barely contain all the pressure backing up in the 'artery' he was holding. In a final yell of triumph, he squeezed tighter and was rewarded with a sight of the walls of the Heart bursting with dark purple liquid.

* * *

Wonder Woman pushed against the drone's massive pointy limb. She knew that if it were to bypass her bracers, the thing would no doubt skewer her. She felt the thing slightly relent and for a moment thought she'd pushed it back, but when the limb raised high, she knew it was going for a more powerful, more brutal, downward strike.

On instinct she raised her bracers to protect her face. The thing reared up on its hind legs and for a moment, she thought it was over. Then the spider drone shook and whirred. It froze in place and a sound like a bursting dam echoed through the desolate Nevada desert. Stiffly, the spider drone toppled to its back and Wonder Woman got to her feet and looked around.

Green Arrow met her gaze and casually, but cautiously, kicked at a normal-sized spider drone at his foot, "They broke?"

"No, look!" Black Canary turned his attention to the organic machine that was DarkHeart.

The vile machine of war was deflating with numerous streams of foul-smelling purple material slush spraying out from it's orifices. It no longer appeared like an indomitable slab of alien machinery; instead, it seemed more like a water balloon that had been poked one too many times with a needle.

Mightor raised his club in celebration and began cheering and Superman, as well as remaining military personnel joined in.

Batman turned his attention to the streams of fluid spewing from the DarkHeart and put a hand to his ear, "Ray! Can you hear me? Come in!" he made his way closer to the DarkHeart, flanked by Wonder Woman and Robin.

As they approached the squelching organic machine, they looked for any sign of the doctor. The pressure within the DarkHeart had already dropped and the streams streaming from the flaccid metal were little more than trickles now. Batman looked over the barely pulsing mass as Robin and Wonder Woman scoured the ground.

"Hawkman, do you have any readings on The Atom?"

"None," the winged man back at the base reported, "The moment he entered the DarkHeart, all long-range signal with him was cut. You were only able to communicate with him due to your communicator's short-wave backup signal,"

"Ray!" Robin called into the wrecked Heart, "Are you in there?" He fished in his belt for a bat-a-rang and approached one of the more membranous purple boils with the intent of popping it open like a zit to take a look within.

Wonder Woman watched fluid drip from a crack in the DarkHeart but a more hefty drop caught her eye. It hit the puddle on the ground and though the purple liquid continued to flow, what fell did not move; instead, it displaced the waters around it. She tilted her head, "There…"

Batman turned from Robin's approach and followed Wonder Woman's finger.

She continued, "Is that...?"

Robin turned his attention as well to Wonder Woman's discovery and the three gathered around the puddle and watched in amazement and relief as the little crumb began to grow into a toy-sized man… and then a full-sized man in a blue and red protective suit and absolutely drenched in liquefied matter.

Once he was at his full size, Dr. Palmer looked up at the faces of the three League members, "That," he said, "was disgusting,"

Wonder Woman and Robin smiled and the Amazing Amazon helped the good doctor to his feet, "You did it,"

* * *

It took the military and the Justice League another hour to gather all of the drones into one place and another hour for the machines to be loaded up and taken away. As the final helicopters lifted the DarkHeart from the earthen surface, Superman looked to General Eiling, "I don't suppose you need any destroying that?" he said, "Wouldn't want that technology falling into the wrong hands,"

Eiling looked the Man of Steel in the eyes, "We could learn a lot from it. It almost beat the new Justice League after all,"

Wonder Woman crossed her arms, "Why would you need something with that potential, General?"

"Oh, I don't know," he turned his attention to her, "Maybe because last time it took only seven of you to take over the entire world. And now I count nine of you present and don't think I don't know that you still have that Thanagarian seeking asylum in the Midwest. I assure you," Eiling gave a smart salute, "Ma'am,"

He turned on his heel and marched into his own helicopter.

"Amazing," Dr. Palmer approached Superman as the League watched the final military helicopter take off, "Show him a machine that destroyed its creator and every other thing it saw… and he wants to play with it,"

"What is to stop that things history from repeating itself here on Earth?" Fate asked.

Batman watched the military vanish over the horizon with their interstellar prize. The military had a right to be afraid. The slope that led to the Justice Lords was a slippery one. Even so, tinkering with destructive superweapons from beyond the stars that humans could barely understand conceptually was dangerous.

He clenched his fists but reminded himself that as the new leader of the Justice League, and with Green Arrow and Queen Mera keeping the League in check, things would be different this time. And if the military somehow did manage to get the DarkHeart operational again, the League had Dr. Palmer on speed dial. The world would be fine.

Fate's question ran through his mind again: _What is to stop their history from repeating itself here on Earth?_ He answered aloud, "We are,"

* * *

Kimber pressed her face up against the airplane window as if she were a child. She'd been on a month-long retreat with her father. As a way of thanks for all of his hard work ever since the Justice Lords had more or less abdicated the world, Goren had been given by the city of Gotham an all-expenses paid month long trip to London for him and one other person. Of course, he brought his daughter.

At first Kimber had objected to being taken along for the ride. After all, her father was single and should be ready to mingle. His job always got in the way of having relationships. Matter of fact, that was one of the factors that led to the… rather messy divorce between himself and his first wife, Kimber's mother. So when he revealed the tickets, Kimber encouraged him to find someone he would want to take along that _wasn't _related to him.

Goren, of course, would have no one else join him but his daughter. They barely spoke despite sharing the same living space and he offered it as time for the two of them to catch up on life. So after much arguing and exasperated debate, the two eventually left for their three-week vacation. They both got bored very quickly.

They took the first few days to talk and discuss life. They both caught up on the others work life, him being police chief and her being, well, Batgirl. He again had voiced his displeasure and she again told him it wasn't up to him. Once they moved from that topic, the two moved on to more relaxing activities. Chess, checkers, and various other strategic board games consumed the remaining time in the first few days.

At the end of the first week, they actually started acting like tourists in London. But both of them quickly became bored. They thrived on adrenaline and excitement whether they wanted to admit it or not. In their hotel room, they approached the subject awkwardly and both realized that the other more or less felt the same way.

So now they were on their way back and neither one could feel any more excited.

"Kim, don't put you face on the window, honey," Goren sighed from his book without looking up.

She pulled herself away from the dirty plastic, "I'm just happy to be back home again,"

"You know, most people would have killed for the vacation we gave up," he said with a tinge of humor.

"Papa, I'm pretty sure many have actually killed for the vacation we gave up,"

Goren looked at his daughter, "I don't know what's more sobering; that fact itself being true or that you know that fact,"

"Hey," she said, retaining her smile, "Gotham's getting better, right?"

The plane's captain came over the intercom and he ran passengers through the reminder of landing procedures. The cabin filled with the ambient noises of people storing their tray tables to their upright and locked position as well as those putting away electronics, bags and books. Ten minutes later, the plane was barreling down the runaway, tires screeching.

Kimber looked to her father as the plane slowed and couldn't help but notice the distressed look on his face, "You're not a fan of flying, are you, Papa?"

"And you've been with the detective for how long?" he joked back through his gritted teeth.

Kimber sulked in her seat, "Maybe two years," she muttered. She took the time to reflect on her time with the Bat. When she thought about the time, it sounded so short. Just two years? That was barely longer than most college romances, but how much had she experienced?

In that short span, she'd gone from fighting robbers and the odd serial killer to stepping toe to toe with the likes of Bane and the Joker and even taking down impossible entities from beyond space and time. And yet, somehow things had gone back to normal. In the months following the near apocalypse, Batman and company had gone back to being the boogeymen the city called on when someone stole a TV. It was almost poetic. But it was also kind of stale.

The reformed Justice League was still something of a new thing to the world at large, though it had always been more of an open secret to the governments of the world; and while membership was slowly swelling, there was still no doubt that aside from the odd Elder Thing or supervillain team-up, the League was in a more 'formality' state than actual 'functional' state.

She snapped out of her self-reflection and looked to her father. He was looking much better and she realized the plane had stopped rolling down the runway and was pulling up to the boarding gate. Goren fished his phone out of his pocket and turned it back on. Immediately emails flooded his phone and he breathed a little sigh of relief, "There's work to be done,"

Kimber reached into her carry-on backpack and took out her cellphone as well. She switched it off of Airplane mode and shot a text to Curtis immediately to inform him of her landing. Then she sent one to Mawk. Sure the guy was her ex, but who says you can't be friends with your ex?

Well, actually a lot of people say that, but that wouldn't stop her from trying. After all, he seemed to be getting along better now that he and Curtis had hashed out just what had happened behind his back. If anything, her ex was now more friendly with Curtis than with her. It stung a bit to see his face when she revealed when she and Curtis had shared their first kiss. But when Mawk got the full story from Curtis, the story about how close to death she came, he left for a fishing trip with his uncle and came back a very changed man.

She wondered where Mawk was now.

* * *

"You're late,"

Arsenal athletically scurried under the final cliff and into the deep cave, "Sorry. Justice League stuff. You know how it can be," He approached the pool of water he'd become so familiar with. Its magical pale light washed over the archer's features as he knelt before the pool.

"No, actually, I don't," the watery voice came again, "I'm not in your club, remember?"

"Ooh, a little saucy today, are we? Well, it's not my club, per se,"

"Well, I've been busy, too, you know," Arsenal could hear the attitude dripping from the girl's voice, "I don't have to do this for you. I could be doing a myriad of other important things,"

"I'm sure," Arsenal dryly responded. He swirled a finger in the waters then flicked some droplets from his finger, "So are we doing this, or what?"

There was a moment of silence and then the pool sighed, "Fine. But _only_ because I promised," From the waters, a body rose as if standing. Soon, Mereena stood on the surface of the water, Trident of Poseidon in hand, "Let's get this over with,"

She stepped off the water and onto dry land, "Just don't keep me waiting next time,"

Arsenal held up both hands in mock surrender, "Yes, ma'am,"

"Please don't call me that," Mereena's face contorted in disgust, "Anyway, let's get started,"

"I used one of the more basic spells today," he said, "An accuracy enchantment on my arrow. Thanks to you, I hit a very necessary shot," He gave her a light side-hug.

"Oh!" Mereena felt her cheeks get a bit hot, "Well, you're welcome, but that's what we're doing this for, right? You wanted to learn magic," she coyly moved some of her wet hair from her face behind her ear and looked shyly at the crimson bowman. Her shoulders slumped a bit and her face dropped comically when she realized he wasn't even looking at her, "Well, we can build off of that, then,"

The two sat before the pool of water and the Atlantean princess withdrew a spellbook from the waves, "Once you see what I've done, do your best to mimic it. But like before, you need to be confident in your abilities. Believe in magic,"

Arsenal gave a smile, "I'm always confident now," he said, "I know what I know and what I know isn't much. That's why I wanted to learn from you,"

Again Mereena blushed and did her best to calm the thudding in her chest, "'Kay, where did we leave off..."

* * *

Diana sat alone in the BatCave, her mind replaying events from the day before. The DarkHeart had been taken care of and again the Justice League proved itself to be useful. Over a radio, she listened to the news report on their activities in the Nevada desert. When the reporter shared with listeners that again public opinion of the Justice League had risen two points, Wonder Woman couldn't help but smile.

They had done good work, but there was still something bothering her. Many believed the Justice League had reformed to tackle the threat of Icthultu and the near apocalypse the previous year. Still others believed that the Justice Lords didn't actually disband but instead went on hiatus, despite all evidence to the contrary. But Diana knew the truth: the only reason the Justice League reformed was because of Batman.

Batman had been the one to bring everyone back together. For a man that was so adamant at being alone, he was a cornerstone of teamwork. He pulled people together with little effort, just by being who he was: dedicated and straight-forward. Sure the man could be abrasive, but at the end of the day that's what life-or-death situations demanded: someone willing to make the hard choices.

But again today the fact that he was just a man reared its ugly head. Batman had thrown everything he had at the DarkHeart and barely managed to temporarily contain it. She remembered the strain she heard on his lips when he admitted he was out of tricks. What did he call it when he fought J'onn and Clark? The feeling of utter helplessness?

"I thought brooding was the Batman's prerogative?" Queen Mera emerged from the watery depths and stood before the sulking princess.

"Greetings, your Highness," Diana bowed her head in a show of respect then spoke, "How is Atlantis faring?"

Queen Mera stared into the oceans through the hidden harbor, "We are growing," she responded slowly, "Thriving once again. It was a slow rebuild but it is over and we are a proud people again,"

Diana smiled, "That is good to hear, my queen,"

"News of your successes travel fast. The fallen object in the desert was quickly dispatched with,"

"Not without some help from someone still on the fence," Diana admitted.

"The shrinking doctor?"

Diana cracked a grin, "Yes, the shrinking doctor," she shifted to the queen, "What is it Atlantis needs from us, Queen Mera?"

"If you don't mind, Diana," Queen Mera waved a hand as if dispelling a cloud, "This is more of a social call than a matter of business,"

"Then join me on the docks, Mera," Diana motioned for the Queen to sit by her, "We're friends first, right?"

The Atlantean stepped from the waters onto damp land but remained standing, "This last year has been kind to our world, Diana. Atlantis is rebuilding not just infrastructure, but also connections with the surface world. The Justice League is slowly raking in successes and the world is returning back to balance," she paused, "And yet, I feel like something is missing... Something you may not be able to understand,"

"If it is related to men, I have to remind you that Bruce and I have a very… healthy relationship," Diana crossed her arms and gave her friend a knowing look from beneath her brow, "I know love,"

"Yes, Diana," Queen Mera agreed, "However, you've not been married,"

"I never saw the point of marriage," Diana shrugged, "Bruce and I are very happy already,"

"But to be married to the person you love, with the person you love," Mera smiled somberly, "And then to lose that person," the queen of the ocean looked to the ground and swallowed hard, "I miss Arthur, Diana, I miss him sorely. I miss his smile, his voice," she paused as she fought back tears, "The way he would tease the court and pull pranks on his guards," she chuckled slightly.

Diana stood and moved in to comfort Queen Mera and gestured to the stairs, "Mera… do you want to take a seat?"

Queen Mera nodded bitterly and allowed the princess of Themyscira to guide her to a metal step.

"You only knew Arthur for a short time, Diana. The Justice League and the surface world only knew him as a stern and firm ruler. A powerful and stubborn man," Queen Mera smiled as she recalled her former husband, "But he was a good man. A kind and loving husband and father… the day that our Mereena was born… I could see it, that was the happiest day of his life,"

"You still miss and mourn for him," Diana placed a motherly hand on the older woman's shoulder, "Sister, I do not know how you are feeling right now, nor will I pretend to understand. You're right, as the League we knew Arthur the king and we were not fortunate enough to know Arthur the man,"

"Oh, Diana," Queen Mera laughed through her tears, "I am not sad because of Arthur is gone. I do not mourn for him anymore. I miss him but I celebrate his life every day," she looked Diana in the eye, "Yet, why can I not move on?"

Diana opened her mouth to speak but found her mouth dry. _She isn't sad that Arthur is gone. She wants to move on but feels wrong for doing so, _"Mera, are you lonely?"

The redheaded queen looked at Diana with reddened eyes. She said nothing, she only nodded. A hand came up and wiped her nose while she sniffled. Her slow nodding turned more into a gentle rocking at her waist, keeping time with the waves.

Diana placed a hand on Queen Mera's thigh.

"I need to move on. I want to move on," Queen Mera tearfully admitted, "But I can't bring myself to reach out to him yet I feel him slipping away from me,"

"'Him'? You-you already have your eyes set on someone?" Diana smiled excitedly and shook the woman's leg, "Who is it and what is keeping you from him?"


	3. Part 1: Chapter 3

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)**and then Act 2 **( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Green Arrow exited the secret passageway and entered his bare but luxurious apartment. After a moderate night of patrolling, he was about ready to just call it a day. He was dead tired. Some new goon with skin like red brick had taken him for a ride and he'd only just subdued the upstart criminal. Between that and the adventure in Nevada the day previous, he was just ready to plop down on the couch and watch some public access television.

Oliver Queen removed his domino mask and green cap, setting both on the oak counter as he entered the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a carton of orange juice and removed its cap. Without a second thought, he put the whole thing to his lips and began to guzzle straight from the carton.

"That's disgusting, Oliver," A steady and familiar voice shook the bachelor from his drink and he jumped in surprise. The orange juice splashed over his face and ran down the front of his Green Arrow uniform.

"Ah, geez, Bats," Oliver looked down in annoyance at his ruined tunic, "Doors! Damn doors! Use them!" He quickly set the carton down and snatched some paper towels from a nearby rack and frantically attempted to pat his tunic dry, "This is a pain to wash, you know!"

He looked over the kitchen counter and into the post-modern living space. Bruce Wayne sat in the center of the couch with a stern look on his face. His neat, black suit was pressed and his smart red tie stood out brightly against the white background that was his dress shirt, "What can I do for you, Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce pointed to Oliver's secret closet, "Change,"

Oliver approached the secret chamber and soon emerged in a collared shirt and jeans, "And to what do I owe this visit? One billionaire to another?"

"Multi-billionaire," Bruce pointed out.

"Eh, close enough,"

"Not remotely," Bruce moved from his seated position for the first time, placing his hands together and leaning forward, "The DarkHeart that our government's military carted away, it didn't go to a military base,"

"Okay, what's that got to do with me, Mr. Wayne?" Oliver sat opposite Bruce, one leg casually resting over the other's knee. He reached into a pocket on the chair and held up a protein bar, "Want one?"

"No," Bruce continued, "I placed a tracer on the DarkHeart during the clean up procedures. It was taken somewhere more north and deep into the wastes of Nevada,"

"We were already in the wastes of Nevada, Bruce," Oliver took his first bite of the bar.

"No. Deeper. There is no military base on record where it went. Past Groom Lake and then it vanished,"

"Alright, and your point is?" Oliver took another bite then shimmied the wrapper further down the bar, "If you're looking for someone to butt heads with over detective work, Robin's your guy. Even Katar would be good to bounce ideas off of. I'm more of a direct approach sort of individual,"

"Aware. However, I think you already know what's out there," Bruce's eyes narrowed, "Queen Industries was hired three years ago, contracted through a government agency, to create the gyro-system utilized by a certain model of military cargo helicopter. The very same helicopters that were used to carry the DarkHeart,"

"So my company made the systems used. Sue me," He took a third bite and pulled the wrapper entirely from the bar. A few crumbs dropped to his shirt, "Just because my company made the system doesn't mean _I'm _hiding the Heart. You know me better than I know myself,"

"No," Bruce corrected, "I don't think you're hiding it, but I think you know where those units were delivered,"

Oliver removed the bar from his mouth, "So let me get this straight: you know that I signed off on the creation of those systems, you were able to tell that those systems are installed on the choppers that showed up in Nevada," He finally took his bite, "But you can't find out where they were shipped? If you found the order request, you should be able to find the manifest, Mr. 'World's Greatest Detective',"

"They cover their tracks well, Queen," Bruce continued, eyeing what was left of the bar dangling from Oliver's fingers, "The manifests are redacted and the digital originals have been purged. No doubt they have them physically stored away in an offline file cabinet in some underground base,"

"Okay?"

"And I know you have the records, too," Bruce finished with a threatening nod, "While I would usually attend to the matter myself and take the relevant information, rather than breaking into your offices one by one until I found what I needed, I figured I would _ask_ first,"

"How noble of you," Oliver took another bite from his bar and looked Bruce up and down, "You're not asking as much as you are warning me, huh?"

"Yes,"

"Either way you're getting this information, huh? This more of a formality?"

"Yes,"

Oliver thought it over in his head. There really was no reason to think about it. He had no real reason to delay his answer to his friend. He just liked having something Batman wanted. As he delayed his response, he caught his guest eyeing his snack, "You want a protein bar, don't you?"

"Yes,"

Oliver cracked a grin and reached into the pocket in the arm of his chair again and drew out another protein bar, "I knew it," He tossed the nutritious snack to Bruce then stood, "I'll be right back, though here's something to get you started: that general we met, he's the one that requested the order,"

Oliver walked over to what appeared to be a flat wall. With a specific sequence of taps from Oliver's fingers, the wall spun ninety degrees, revealing a file cabinet on the other side, "Clever," Bruce remarked.

"Hey, you're not the only one with a penchant for hiding stuff," Oliver replied, "You're just better at it,"

Bruce unwrapped his protein bar and took a first, careful bite, "The file?"

"Calm down," Oliver leafed through a few files in one of the drawers then withdrew a light manila folder, "Here's your file," He opened it as he walked back to Bruce, "Yep, here we go," he set the folder and its contents before Bruce, pointing out a name, "Gyro systems requested from Queen Industries from one General Wade Eiling,"

Bruce looked over the paperwork and took another bite from his bar, "Looks like standard items in the request. These are some hefty prices for gyro stabilizers, Queen,"

"Top of the line," the blonde man responded, "Each one a custom work of engineering. They wanted it to work in zero G and you know that's not inexpensive," Oliver took a seat next to Bruce and looked at the paper, "Looks like you've got your address for delivery," He pointed to a line that read 'deliver to:' and then was followed by an address, "A small settlement in the Nevada desert. I think they had a gas station out there that not much else," He did his best to recall what the delivery manager had relayed to him about the location when the gyros were delivered a year and a half earlier, "Literally podunk-nowhere, Nevada,"

"There's another name here," Bruce pointed to a receiving supervisor's name, "'Director Waller'. No first name. Sound familiar?"

Oliver shook his head, "Nope. When handling the order, Eiling was the only one that communicated with my engineering team. There was no one else involved and we didn't think to dig any deeper. He's top brass, y'know? A hardened veteran that worked under even the Justice Lords," he gave Wayne a side-long glance but Bruce seemed not the least bit phased at the Lords' mentioning. The blemish of the Justice Lords really was being overwritten, "Anyway, he's so high up, didn't think anyone short of bureaucrats in D.C. were above him. Had no reason to,"

Bruce took time to finish his protein bar, chewing mechanically and deeply as he scanned the document, committing every inch to memory so as to reproduce it in the BatCave later. After a few silent minutes, he crumpled up the wrapper and pushed the remainder of his bar into his mouth and chewed.

Once he swallowed the last of his snack, Bruce Wayne stood, "Thank you, Oliver,"

"You're not taking it with you?"

"I have a copy," Bruce tapped his forehead a few times then moved for the door, "I have to go,"

Oliver rushed by him to get the door, "Well, if you're heading down that way, hit me up," he said as he unlocked the front door, "I wouldn't mind seeing how my tech is being used," He swung open the door and politely gestured for Wayne to exit, "And thanks for stopping by, Mr. Wayne. It's always a pleasure to hang out with you,"

"This wasn't a 'hang out',"

"Yeah? We sat around for a bit, ate a snack and talked shop without the world being at stake. What do you call that?" Queen placed a hand on his hip and leaned against the door.

"Business,"

"Keep telling yourself that, Bruce, but you have friends, whether you like it or not,"

* * *

"Welcome back!" Curtis wrapped his arms around Kimber's frame and drew her close. The two shared an intimate moment before an uncomfortable adult reminded them of his presence.

"Please," Goren pleaded, "Keep it PG while I'm here. She may be an adult but she's still my baby girl,"

Curtis stepped back from his girlfriend and apologized to the senior Lee, "I just missed her. Gotham isn't the same without her,"

"She wasn't even gone two weeks," Goren pointed out, "It wasn't the end of the world," He unconsciously looked to his daughter as memories of the terrifying near apocalypse the year before came flooding back to him. That had been a day of revelations indeed. He shook the memories from his head and instead just thanked his stars that he'd been safe through the whole thing. That she'd been safe through the whole thing.

Goren looked back at the young man that still held his daughter's hands and couldn't help but smile. The kid had no idea, "Hey, I'm going to run out for a bit. Figure I'd just cramp your style if I stay with you two, so I'll just drop by the station and visit Elden. See how things are, alright? And make sure Bulloch hasn't demolished the station's supply of bagels..."

"You know they're just going to kick you out again, right? You tried that yesterday on the way home from the airport..."

"I know, I know. I'm on vacation," He made a point to show that his badge was not clipped to his side, "I'm just going in as a concerned citizen, that's it,"

Kimber gave her father a wry smile, "You'll be back in an hour, then?"

"Ha ha ha, Kim," Goren flared his nostrils as he opened the door, "I'll be back later. Assuming I won't see you 'til tonight? Maybe not even then..." Goren exited, "Hands above the waist!" Then he pulled the door shut.

Curtis came behind Kimber and wrapped his arms around her, resting both his hands on her chest.

"Curt!" Kimber squealed in surprise and delight, "What are you doing?" she playfully batted his hands from her breasts and covered them coyly.

"What?" Curtis innocently asked, "He said keep it above the waist,"

Kimber gave him a look, "You're bad, Mr. Walker. Very, very bad,"

"I'm just following the rules," He winked, "How was your trip?"

"It wasn't bad," she replied, "Just got boring very quickly. Dad and I are both people of action, you know? I'm Batgirl, he's the chief of police in what used to be the most crime-ridden city on the East Coast… we're used to a certain level of stimulation. Sight-seeing and taking tours of London wasn't doing it..."

"You got me there," Curtis raised his hands in agreement, "You're always itching for a fight," He rubbed his hands together, "And we did have quite the mission the other day. A shame you missed it because there was a lot to break,"

"I know," the girl moaned in regret as she pulled on her jacket and led Curtis outside, "I caught a news segment on it during the last leg of the flight. Katar didn't go with you all?"

"No. Hawkman stayed at the Watchtower. With the military involved, you know he wasn't keen on interacting with them again. Especially after last month's debacle,"

"I recall," Kimber and her boyfriend walked down the sidewalk hand in hand, "But I thought Superman got that all cleared up?"

"He did," Curtis responded, "Doesn't mean Katar's eager to interact with the US military again,"

"Did you ever find out how the military learned about the failed Thanagarian invasion?"

"No, but I have my suspicious. Shared it with the boss and he said he suspected the same thing,"

"Well? Don't keep me in suspense," she arched a brow.

"Army boy," Curtis gave Kimber a look from the corner of his eye, "He was a Marine, remember? Stewart possibly still has connections in the military and clued them in,"

"You're assuming he's still on the planet," Kimber reminded him, "Not even the boss can say one way or another if he's still local,"

The pair turned the corner at the end of Kimber's street and walked down the main road into the neighborhood's center. Their conversation quickly devolved into general chatting and teasing. Kimber shared more about her trip while Curtis shared with her his progress in university.

"Have you decided on your major? Before you left, you were thinking about Bio..." he asked.

Kimber shook her head, "It's not for me. I decided to do kinesiology the day before Papa and I left," she said, "Thinking of going into fitness, what with my athletics and all," she winked, "When I was a kid, I did gymnastics and stuck with it through high school, remember? My coaches were always so pleasant and fun and they seemed to have a good time,"

"You want to teach gymnastics?"

"Not as an end goal, but yeah, I'm going to start coaching soon, yeah. Have to pay back my loans somehow," she paused, "Not all of us were blessed with a magnificent mind like you, Curt. I'd like to work on my own time, you know; flexible schedule with something I'm good at? Sign me up. I've always been athletic so-"

"So why not become a personal trainer?" Curtis finished for her, "Makes sense,"

"Always one step ahead, aren't you?" she smirked at him, "Yeah… get time to keep going out at night and if I'm good enough, I could overcharge the wealthy, so there's that bit of solace,"

"So are you still on track for graduation, or does that delay you?"

"Delays me by a quarter. Mostly finished my Gen Eds but I'm missing a prerequisite or two, so I'll be done a bit after you," she gave him a pouty face, "I hope that's okay, Mr. 'WayneTech'?"

"What? Yeah..." Curtis blushed and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "That's fine… Look, Kim, you know I'm not that big a deal at the company, right?"

"You went from field intern to some sort of firm ambassador to part-time job with WayneTech. And I'm sure you've more than earned it," she joshed, "I'm pretty sure Lucius has a job lined up for you the minute you step off the graduation stage, huh?" She prodded her boyfriend's side with her elbow and then interlocked her hand in his, "Maybe one day you'll be running the place,"

"Don't joke like that,"

"What? Not keen on business meetings?"

"Not keen on being _just _like him,"

"Wealthy, handsome and at the peak of physical condition?"

"No," Curtis countered, "Unhappy and consumed,"

The two walked in silence for a bit of time until Kimber spoke up again, "He's getting better, you know. He was downright bitter and depressed. Resentful of himself when he first took me in. When we started working together, he slowly started to soften. He remembered how to human, as it were. And then you came in, too, and further softened him up,"

"And his fragmented relationship with Dick and Babs?" Curtis posed, "There's still bad blood between them. And that's not even considering the whole Red-X thing. Tim's bitter, as well. He and his Titans may join the league at times for missions, but that doesn't mean they like us," He pressed the button for the crosswalk then shoved his free hand in his jacket pocket.

"You don't like the Titans?" Kimber teased, "They're cute. Like a young Justice League or something,"

"You always say that about them. Red-X, Changeling, that alien girl and the cyborg are anything but Leaguers. They always seem to be outsiders rather than actual heroes for the sake of being heroes,"

"You don't like the Tamaranian princess? I like her... she's sunny,"

"They're silly,"

"Everyone's a critic,"

The light turned red and the symbol for the crosswalk flashed to white, allowing the couple to cross. They hadn't gotten halfway across the crosswalk when a car blew the red light and barreled through the intersection. Kimber had to yank back on Curtis' collar to pull him out of harm's way.

"Hey, watch it, jerk!" She waved her fist at the retreating speeder and felt her temperature rising, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Curtis, hands shaking, readjusted his jacket and straightened himself, "Thanks for the save, babe. Whether you're in uniform or not, this city tries to kill you,"

* * *

Deep in the BatCave, Wonder Woman removed the final connecting cable from the Flying Fox's underbelly. As she wrapped up the final cable, her cell rang. With a heavy sigh, the Amazonian approached her buzzing phone, plucking a mechanic's cleaning cloth along the way to wipe her hands. With the flick of her finger, she answered.

"Diana? Is it ready?" Batman's voice came over the speakerphone.

"Yes, the changes to the Flying Fox are completed. Diagnostics finished running five minutes ago," she responded as her fingers danced over the touchscreen. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "I have Clark on the line, as well,"

"Hello, Bruce?" Clark Kent's voice sounded a bit frantic, "Please tell me you aren't foolish enough to do what I think you're going to do,"

"What do you think I'm going to do?"

"You're going back to Nevada to hunt down the DarkHeart, aren't you?"

Diana could tell Batman was annoyed, "Diana told you?"

"No. I know you," Clark replied, "You don't leave any mystery well enough alone,"

"Hm, seems I've fallen into a rut," Batman sounded almost amused.

"This is serious, Bruce. The world is just beginning to trust us. If you get caught at that base, you risk damaging what little trust we've built up so far!"

"Seems you don't know me as well as you'd imagine. I _don't _get caught," Batman replied, "Besides, I'm a part-timer, remember? Well known for being aloof. If anything were to happen, say I do get caught, which I won't, the new Justice League should be able to survive my actions,"

"Bruce," Diana spoke up, "You are the leader of the Justice League now, not just a founding member. What you said may have been the case five years ago, but things are different now. You're the cornerstone of this new league. You have to understand that,"

He held his tongue.

"Diana's right," Clark jumped back in, "You can't just break into a military facility because you want to know what is going on in there,"

"Watch me,"

Clark hung up the line in a huff and soon Diana was left alone with Batman on the other line ,"Bruce, you're not going alone, are you?"

"No. I'm taking the kids,"

"Great Hera, Bruce. They aren't kids anymore; they're adults! And they shouldn't be subject to breaking into a military facility,"

"Wouldn't be the first government building they've broken into," Batman reminded Diana.

"But it would be the first one with a shoot-on-sight policy," she shot back.

"Actually, it wouldn't," Batman said, "Besides, Kimber's just returned from London and I know she's itching for action, while Curtis is always eager for more investigation. Diana, you know just how much I've been looking for any information on the little group that caught our flying friend,"

"I am aware,"

"Then let me do what I do,"

Diana paused on the line and contemplated her response. She considered offering to go but knew he'd say no. Stealth had never been her strongest point and she also wasn't eager to start learning the trade of crawling in vents for hours and monitoring guard rotations for a few hours. The gods knew she had better use of her time. In fact, she could even take this time to pursue some research she wanted to do. The thought of her new project lifted her spirits.

"Alright, Bruce," Diana pretended to relent but found it hard to suppress the feeling welling in her stomach, "You do what you have to do and so will I,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She could hear some of Bruce Wayne's voice come through, intertwining with the voice he'd been using for the entire conversation.

"You are on your way back, right? You may be going on a… foolish adventure tonight, but you did agree to take me to dinner, Bruce. Don't think I've forgotten,"

The line was silent for awhile and Diana relished in the silence. It was rare that she could leave her significant other speechless, but when it happened, she loved it. Talking about their slightly-more-than-casual relationship was often enough to leave him flustered.

"Bruce?"

"I'm coming up the Manor driveway," he answered quickly.

"Good! There was a little place on the corner of Kane and Milliken that I was eyeing the other day. Italian food,"

"Always a good choice,"

"Make sure you wear something nice," she said, "I'm coming up,"

Diana hung up the phone and looked back to the Batplane. The monstrously themed stealth jet seemed to leer down on her with little regard for her near-divine status. She childishly stuck her tongue out at the metal bat and walked to a washing station to properly clean her hands.

* * *

"Yes… Yes, tonight," Bruce shifted his footing from one leg to the other as he spoke with Kimber over the phone, "Alright. Also, Kimber," he paused, "I'm glad you made it back safely. You'll have to tell me about the trip when we have a moment," He quickly hung up the phone just as he heard the hefty clock swing shut in the parlor.

Diana floated into the main hall, "Was that sentimentality I heard?" she brushed his face with the back of her hand lovingly, "You're getting soft,"

"I've been told it's good to pretend to be invested in your coworkers personal affairs. Supposedly boosts camaraderie,"

"Mhmm," Diana flew up to the second level of the manor as Bruce ascended the stairs, "You can pretend all you want that you're not involved with them but I can see the truth written all over your face, Mr. Wayne: you love those two. You love people,"

"Ridiculous," Even so, he smiled slightly. Bruce turned from the upper parlor and entered the master bedroom. Once inside, he pulled off his business suit jacket and loosened his tie, "Can I help you?" he spoke to Diana. Though his back was to her, he was keenly aware she'd entered the room. Though his words were harsh, his tone was definitely a teasing one.

She approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Bruce Wayne, you're the only person I know who can take their capacity to love people so dearly and turn it into a problem," she ran her hands down his chest, unbuttoning his dress shirt as she went, "It's alright to admit that you love people, you know. Kim and Curt, they care for you,"

"Kimber and Curtis are great allies. The girl is a remarkable fighter, could have been an Amazon if circumstances had been different; the boy is a magnificent detective with natural intuition on par with my mind. I have no doubt in their ability to replace me one day,"

Diana fought the lump in her throat and continued, "I'm talking about outside the Cave, Bruce," she spun the shirtless man around, "Do you love me?"

He didn't even have to think, "Yes,"

She felt her heart flutter a bit, "Actually love me?"

"Of course," a 'Bruce Wayne' smile spread over his face and he laid a quick peck on her cheek, "I admit being exclusive for so long is a foreign thing to both Bruce Wayne and Batman, for entirely different reasons," Embarrassed at the admittance, Bruce cleared his throat and his face settled back into its natural resting position: a neutral scowl, "Why?"

Diana didn't reply right away.

"You know what?" she pushed herself away from Bruce and grinned mischievously, "You get yourself ready. Do whatever it is you do to make yourself handsome and presentable to the public without making yourself a spectacle. I have a reservation to make,"

* * *

Superman descended to the balcony he used to be so familiar with. He stepped gingerly onto the painted wooden floor and gazed into the empty post-modern apartment. So many memories had been made on this balcony that it was all he could do to keep back the feeling of melancholy tugging at the corners of his eyes.

He brushed a hand over the railing of the balcony and sighed. Lois was moving for good to the newer apartment across town. For the past few years she'd split her time between the old apartment and the new depending on her work schedule and she'd been so busy that he'd only been able to catch her for brief breaks as Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. He'd attempted to approach her as Superman, but it was obvious for awhile that she wanted little to nothing to do with the Man of Steel. He was going out on a limb coming unannounced to her place but he really did have to talk to her. He only hoped she wouldn't be so upset.

The door to the apartment squeaked open and the woman in the purple skirt-suit entered with two big boxes in her hands. Superman turned to face her but remained outside.

"Figured you'd show up here eventually," Lois didn't sound the least bit surprised, or pleased, to see him, "Jimmy squealed on me again?" She rested a hand on her hip and gave Superman a bored look.

Superman nodded, "It's been the talk of the Planet,"

"Daily or the whole thing?" she arched a brow.

Superman smiled and nodded his head to the side, "Do you mind if we take some time to speak?"

"We're already chatting," she pointed out, "What harm could come from more talking? Speak your mind,"

Superman pulled up one of the two chairs on the balcony and sat, "I messed up big time, Lois. I know that. I'd lost a friend and I wasn't willing to lose any more," he looked into Metropolis' bright blue skies, "Luthor killed Flash and then rubbed it in my face. I couldn't take it," He looked to Lois and saw her bright eyes barely twinkling with support, "He called me his greatest accomplice,"

"Why?" Lois' question was anything but earnest, "Because you would take him down by the book and he'd worm his way free again?"

Superman looked away.

"I'm sorry, Superman, but I'm not buying it. You know as well as I do that Luthor played the system. He gamed it in his favor many times. Just because you play fair and he doesn't, doesn't mean that you were helping him win. He was cheating. Everytime. You can't hold yourself responsible for what he's done, only what you've done,"

Lois sighed, "Clark Kent used to tell me all the time about growing up in Smallville. Always pegged him as a bit of a square but apparently in his youth he was at least partially athletic,"

Superman raised an eyebrow, "Really now? Clark Kent is an athlete?"

"Was an athlete," Lois corrected, "Now he's just- okay, we're getting off topic. Look," She put an unsure hand on Superman's shoulder, "He used to play America's game: baseball. Some little league that ran through his county on Sundays. His team was the Smallville Sluggers," she laughed at the memory and Superman had to refrain from sharing her mirth, "He spoke about facing down the Hillington Cougars a year before he was too old to play little league,"

"Sluggers versus Cougars?"

"That's right, Superman," she flashed him a smirk with her violet eyes sparkling, "They were rivals and Clark admitted that there were a few boys on that team he never got along with despite all his efforts. Anyway, on this day the two teams were playing to break a tie and determine the championship for the season. Clark reports that he actually hit two home runs that game and a double,"

"You don't believe him?"

"I wouldn't, but he also reported that he struck out his first two times up to bat, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt,"

Superman recalled him sharing the story with her and as she recounted it, he found himself enjoying hearing her take on the memory he'd shared years earlier, "I don't talk about him too much, but Clark is a good man. He's nothing if not honest,"

"Mark of a good journalist," Lois added, "But during this game, the umpire was the uncle of one of the Cougars' players and there was apparently no such thing as 'conflict of interest' in little league, so very quickly bad calls were being made from behind home plate. Balls would become strikes and strikes would become balls. Two players crossed home and though their foot touched the plate before the tag, they were still called 'out'," she sighed, "Sounds like a nightmare, right?"

Superman nodded, "Did they still win?"

"Oh, no! They got creamed," Lois laughed, "The other team won by a landslide and took the championship trophy that year. Sounds frustrating and sad in my opinion. But it's what Clark's father did after the game that stuck with me: he took the entire team, coach included, out for ice cream. They may have lost the game, but they played by the rules and gave it their all. At the end of the day, they didn't compromise their morals,"

Superman stayed silent in thought for a moment. Aside from birds chirping on distant building-top parks and the odd plane in the air, there was not a sound. Luthor had always been a manipulative snake. Had it been a trick this whole time? Had Luthor said what he'd said to get a final rise out of him before being carted off to jail? A final twist of the knife before a temporary imprisonment? Or worse, had Luthor, so afraid to fall from grace, goaded Superman into killing him? Perhaps Luthor didn't want to be held responsible for his diabolical actions and prodded Superman to end it all. After all, what better way to remove the spotlight on your heinous actions than to have Superman, the Big Blue Boy Scout, kill you?

Finally, after becoming hyper aware of the sound of her own breathing, Lois shifted uncomfortably in her chair and cleared her throat, "Between you and me," she added with a sigh, "I'd want to wring his neck, too," She glanced at him and the two shared a smile.

"I shouldn't have done it. So much fear and sorrow was in my mind as I stormed into the White House that I couldn't think clearly. I was on my own,"

"You don't… handle stress well, Superman," Lois rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "That much is known. You have a big heart and an even bigger view of what people can be. And when people fail to live up to that high expectation, you tend to fail to live up to what we expect as well. You're only human," she stuttered at her choice of words, "Well, you know what I mean,"

"I get you, Lois. Thank you," he stood slowly from the chair and breathed a fresh breath of the cool day's air. The breath felt new and rejuvenating. He had done a lot wrong with the Justice Lords and he was still atoning for it for sure, but to know that he wasn't an enabler for Luthor filled him with a bit of confidence, "I don't suppose you need help moving?"  
"Not really, no," Lois stood as well and whipped out her cell, "The movers are coming for the remaining items in an hour, so while this chat has been enjoyable, I do have to finish packing the remaining items,"

"I understand," Superman's feet slowly left the floor and he rose into the air.

"Superman," Lois called up to him.

"Yes?"

"When Darkseid brainwashed you and set you loose on earth, your reputation was damaged. This is the second hit you've taken, PR-wise, and that's not good. Three strikes and you're out in baseball but in matters of truth and justice, second chances are rare. Any more than that, miraculous," she kicked at some loose gravel on her balcony idly, "But I'm going to give you the same advice now that I gave you those years ago atop the Daily Planet," she paused, "Sans the kiss,"

Superman did his best to hide his disappointment and descended a bit to hear her advice.

"You can win back the trust of the entire planet, one person at a time,"


	4. Part 1: Chapter 4

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Bruce stepped out of his two-seater luxury car and quickly grabbed the passenger door for Diana.

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne," she grinned.

Bruce bowed as she exited and followed behind her to the entrance of the high scale restaurant's entrance, "I'm nothing if not a gentleman," he said smoothly.

As Bruce and Diana rounded the parking corner and stepped onto the street, a small flock of Gothamites turned their attention to the two and small whispers began. A few more brazen locals drew their phones quickly and opened their video apps.

"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne!" One called, "Is that Wonder Woman you're with?"

"How do you feel about being attached to a former Justice Lord?"

"Wonder Woman! Is it true that the Justice League is being reformed with the Trinity at the head?"

"Does Bruce Wayne know you are fighting crime again, Ms. Prince? Mr. Wayne, how does that line up with the terms of her release?"

The couple ignored all the baiting from the paparazzi and entered the eatery, "This way," Diana led Bruce to the concierge and greeted the man with a smile, "Table for Wayne?"

The greeter squeaked out in surprise at Diana and then did doubletake at Bruce but quickly regained his composure and professionalism, "Ye-Yes, right this way, Wonder Wo-er-mademoiselle," he shakily procured two fine menus and then led the couple to a private section, "Your party has already arrived,"

"Party?" Bruce looked to Diana, "You invited someone else?"

"Another couple that I think could use some attention from the man behind the mask," Diana whispered back with a hint of playfulness, "You'll be fine!"

"I hope you didn't invite that Powers kid…" Bruce muttered, "Gives me the creeps…" His mind drifted through the short list of couples he knew that Diana would be brave enough to approach on her own… and be so willing to throw on fancy clothing at such short notice as well as willing to spend the coin to eat at this restaurant.

_Daggett maybe? Or Boyle Jr.? No, Boyle Jr.'s out of the country, _the more his mind flipped through the short list of candidates, the more confused Bruce became. Finally, he and Diana were taken behind closed doors to a private booth with two people seated with their backs to the entryway.

"A server will be with you shortly," with that short phrase, their escort left them.

Diana prodded Bruce's side and quickly slid into the booth across from the couple. Moments later, Bruce slid next to her and faced his guests. The moment he looked at the two, he knew he'd be footing the bill, "Kimber. Curtis,"

"Hey, Boss," Curtis pulled at his buttoned up collar with a finger in an attempt to relieve his neck. He was obviously not used to wearing suits, "How do you stand wearing these things? So constricting,"

"You get used to it," Bruce replied, "And you'd better get used to it, one day you may have to last for hours and hours of meetings,"

Curtis exchanged a look with his female companion before turning his attention back to Bruce and Diana, "I have to say, boss, we were surprised when Diana invited us down here on your request, but we were pleasantly surprised,"

Bruce glanced at Diana in the corner of his eye but said nothing to her. Her face looked much too sweet. He couldn't be angry, "Well, I was surprised you two accepted, what with your busy schedules and all," he winked, "Kimber, it is nice to see you again after so long. When was the last time we met? Your high school graduation?"

Kimber was about the reply sarcastically when she realized that she hadn't actually been publicly seen with Bruce Wayne. In fact, she hadn't been in the same space as Wayne publicly since his attendance at her graduation two years previous. And before that? Their first encounter at the stop sign. She'd worked with him for most nights going on three years now and hung out with him out of costume in the 'Cave on more than one occasion, but in public it had always been Batman and Batgirl, not Bruce and Kimber.

"Yeah," she finally said with a slight sigh as she kicked down the good joke she'd almost replied with, "That's about right, Mr. Wayne," She smoothed out a wayward pleat in her semi-formal dress and coughed uncomfortably, "Curtis speaks very highly of you, though says you can be quite the taskmaster at times," she raised her umber eyes to meet Bruce's cold set, "How much of that is truth and how much of it fanciful fiction?"

Bruce Wayne's eyes seemed to sparkle in reply, "Please, call me 'Bruce', Kimber. I like to think I'm easy on my employees, but it's always good to know what is said when they are off the clock,"

Curtis drew into his seat a bit more and looked to his date, "You're just gonna throw me under the bus like that?" his whisper was barely audible.

"I wasn't sure what else to say," Kimber frantically whispered back, "This is weird,"

Bruce leaned in over the table, "I can still hear you two,"

Diana joined them in the center, "I like to whisper, too,"

Both young adults shot back up in their seats, exchanged glances with each other then gave Diana a pleading look.

"Be nice," Diana shot them all warning looks, "You've all known each other for three years and have gone through hell and back. You should be able to make some sort of small talk,"

"So I heard that you think Army boy is the one that leaked Katar's circumstances," Kimber excitedly began talking shop with Bruce immediately.

Bruce's face darkened slightly but he, too, seemed to be a bit more animated and comfortable, "It's not a bulletproof assessment," he replied, "I still can't say with certainty whether Stewart is on-planet or not, but it's the best lead I've got,"

"Hey!" Diana dropped an open hand between the two, blocking their view of each other, "How about discussing something _not _work related?" She clarified, "This is supposed to be fun, remember?"

Curtis looked to the side of their booth, through the one-way decorative windows, and back into the common area. His eye settled on a curious sight, "Hey, is that Ollie?"

Diana sighed, "I said, not work related," she repeated.

"No, he's right," Kimber backed Curtis up, "G.A.'s right over there," she pointed past Curtis into the public sitting area and sure enough, there sat Oliver Queen, dressed in a smart beige blazer with matching slacks and a light grey turtleneck. On the table before him stood a solitary bottle of fine white wine.

"I don't think I've ever seen him in something so fancy, before," Curtis mentioned.

The four watched Oliver pull out a pocket watch and check the time before stuffing it back into his jacket's breast pocket with a slight huff. His eyes, usually covered by a slick green domino mask seemed unsure and very defensive.

"Who is he waiting on?"

* * *

Oliver took another look around the room then double-checked the time. Was he a bit early? No, he was right on time; and in the right place, too. He knew he had the details right, even brought her favorite type of wine: a white wine made from sea grapes off the coast of a Caribbean island. Everything on his end was right, so what was the point in checking and double-checking?

"Sir, are you ready to order?" a waiter gave a slight smile and politely bowed before Oliver, gesturing to the menu that lay open on the table.

Oliver glanced down at the menu and scanned the list of items. Aside from the odd alcoholic beverage, nothing particularly caught his eye. With how the night was shaping up, his appetite wasn't exactly with him. He lingered again over a choice wine then opted for some brandy instead, "A glass, please," he pointed to his selection.

"An excellent choice, Mr. Queen," the waiter curtly nodded and left Oliver alone.

The billionaire looked all around the room. On his entrance, he'd caught wind of Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince of Themyscira dining in, but now that he was inside the building, he caught no sight of them. At first he'd lamented to be in the same building as them, but now that his date had apparently stood him up, he couldn't help but wish his friends were close by.

"Oh, c'mon, where are ya?" He muttered, "This was your idea! Your reservation," he whipped out his phone and, while glancing at the time, navigated to his contacts. He scrolled through his short list of saved numbers but he knew it was a pointless endeavor. She didn't have a phone so how could he contact her?

With a sigh, he slid his phone back into his pocket and waited for his waiter to bring him his drink. If she wasn't here by the time he finished, he was out.

A few more uncomfortable minutes passed before the waiter returned with Oliver's beverage. With a snappy nod and flick of the wrist, the young man placed the foaming glass on the table and slid it to Oliver, "Here you are, sir," he said, "Your brandy," Then he placed a small pale of ice on the table with a pair of tongs jutting out, "With optional rocks,"

"Thanks," Queen took a firm hold of his glass and put it to his lips. In an instant the glass was a quarter finished. It took until he had drunk half the drink before he realized he should probably pace himself. She was probably still on her way, after all.

His date had chosen a restaurant in Gotham over his Star City due to the close proximity with the water Gotham had. She was no stranger to Gotham Harbor or Metropolis' bay. Either one afforded her quick access to the cities whereas Star City was much more landlocked. They'd settled on Gotham because, well, quickly Gotham was gaining the reputation of the most 'happening' place in the northeast.

But now the 'happening' was happening to everyone around him and the more he watched groups laugh, coworkers chat, and couples snuggle into one another, the more keenly aware of his loneliness he felt.

He put the drink to his lips again and drank.

* * *

Curt watched with a tinge of sorrow as his friend drank away whatever he was feeling. He had an acute familiarity with what Oliver was feeling at the moment. Or, at least, an acute assumption of the feeling. It was more or less obvious to all at the table that Oliver was expecting company, romantic company, and that his company just wasn't coming. However, Curtis was also very sure that none of the other members at his table had never experienced such a thing.

Diana hadn't really been the dating type until recently, and even if she had, who would dare stand up the Amazon Beauty that was Wonder Woman? Kimber, he knew, had her on-again off-again relationship with Mawk in high school and between that, she'd only dated a few guys. Little first dates. And he knew she'd actually been the one to pull a no-show on a few of them. And Bruce Wayne? For sure the multi-billionaire playboy and philanthropist had never been stood-up on a date.

But him? He definitely had his fair share of failures. Embarrassing ones, especially back in early high school. He unconsciously shivered at the memories and stuffed them back in his mental file cabinet of terrible experiences.

"Should... should we text him?" Kimber asked quietly, "He seems uncomfortable,"

"This was supposed to be a double date," Diana reminded the younger woman, "I don't think he'd appreciate us imposing, especially if he himself was expecting a date,"

Curtis sat quietly and watched Oliver stew a bit more, "My question is, who is he waiting for?"

"And why hasn't he called her?"

Kimber looked to Bruce, "He pulled out his phone to text her,"

"But he didn't actually text. His fingers hovered over the screen but he never composed nor sent a message. Not even a call. Whoever she is, he can't call her,"

"Or won't," Diana piped in.

"No, definitely a can't call situation," Curtis agreed with Bruce, "I know Ollie, he's crass enough to call whatever the situation may be. He can't call her… so who is she?"

Diana bit the inside of her lip to keep from talking. She knew who it was now and oh dear would she have words with the Queen of the seas.

The four watched Oliver polish of his brandy very well, and crunch on a few more ice cubes for good measure, as if giving his date stoppage time. Then, when he was sure she wouldn't arrive, he flagged down the waiter for the check. He fished a few bills out of his pocket and dropped the clump on the table.

From where they sat, they could see the surprised look on the waiter's face at the sight of the bills, "Signore!" they managed to hear the waiter call after Oliver, "This is too much for just the brandy!"

But Oliver was already stomping out, face slightly red, "Keep the change," he called back with a dismissive wave. With that, he exited the scene in the Italian restaurant, leaving the bottle of white wine behind.

_Words, indeed._

* * *

The two-seater was surprisingly not silent on the ride back to stately Wayne Manor. Bruce, eyes glued to the road, chatted at length about the validity of the more Eastern fighting styles as Diana continued to, jokingly, declare that any one member of the Themyscirian army would easily decimate a fighter trained in any other art. Her loss to him a few years previous? Nothing but a fluke.

"So then here's the real question: would you like a rematch?"

Diana adjusted in her seat to face Bruce as best she could, "Oh, you are challenging me to another sword fight, Mr. Wayne?"

"If you think you're up to it," he casually replied, "You seem adamant that if the circumstances had been better-"

"Well, I _did_ go easy on you, you know," she interjected, "At the time, I thought you were Bruce Wayne and nothing more. Batman, on the other hand, is a different beast to tackle entirely,"

"Regardless, you seem very sure that you could best me in a sword fight,"

"Correction," Diana interrupted again, "I _am_ very sure. But this argument, Bruce, stems instead from a comparison of my Greek training to the various styles found around Asia. If you limit yourself to only using the moves of a single Eastern style, then I will consider,"

"And you will limit yourself to just your Amazonian Greek training?" He side-eyed her with a tinge of a smile tickling his lip.

"What ever do you mean?"

"Don't think I don't know that you learned some techniques from Shayera and Clark," he said, "No Thanagarian and no Kryptonian. Those are my terms," He directed his eyes back to the road.

"Fine,"

"...Not that Klurkor would help you," Wayne added, "I'm familiar with Clark's fighting style,"

Diana took her phone out of her purse and instantly began texting, "You think you can take on Clark as well?"

"That's not what I said," Bruce said a bit sternly. Then he added with a quiet hastiness, "Don't tell him I said that,"

But it was too late. Within a second, a basic ringtone blared over the car's bluetooth speaker as Bruce barely caught a yellow light. He glanced in his rear view mirror and whispered an apology to the motorbike that had been following him then answered the call without looking at the caller I.D., "Bruce Wayne speaking,"

"Bruce!" Kent's voice came over the line hushed and on the verge of disbelief, "Diana told me that you could counter my Klurkor and beat me in a fight?"

"If I recall correctly, I _did_ beat you in a fight. No holds barred, if I might add," He shot Diana a nasty look and the powerful woman only smiled.

"You mean when I was brainwashed by J'onn so I wouldn't have been in control, you mean? When I fight with Klurkor, there is finesse and brutality melded into one!"

Bruce almost laughed but held his tongue, "You're getting false information, Kent. I only said that when Diana and I spar next, if she used Klurkor, I would beat it,"

"You and Diana are going to spar? Like actually fight? Like a tournament?"

Bruce's eyes narrowed, "You sound excited. Why do you sound excited?"

"I want in, Bruce," Clark answered, "When's the tournament?"

"Are you kidding? We aren't-"

"How about this weekend?" Diana answered Clark with a smile to Bruce, "Everyone should be more or less free from civilian duties and, aside from emergency missions, we could take the day to have a little tournament,"

"Diana,"

"Think of it as training, Bruce. I know how much you love to train," Diana's fingers were already flying over her phone keyboard, "Mawk says he's in and Black Canary, too, says she can make it,"

"I swear to the sky, Diana, you're going to make me pull over!" Bruce refrained from yelling.

"You better bring your A game, Bruce," Clark jabbed, "Because come Saturday afternoon, I will lay you out on the mat,"

_Click._

Bruce looked at Diana, "What just happened?"

Diana smiled, "You're throwing an afterwork party for your friends and favorite coworkers. The first annual Justice League picnic!" she joked, "Oh, just got a text from Z. Says she won't participate, but she's down to provide refreshments,"

Bruce turned off the main road and headed up the private drive to his home, "I don't believe this…"

* * *

Bruce and Diana descended the stairs to the BatCave. As they went, he did his best to drown out her persistent party planning. She'd been talking non-stop since they'd exited the garage.

"...and of course you'll have to set up the red-sun lights. Even without the cartridges, Clark is stronger than the average person, so he'd definitely need to be handicapped. I'd suggest setting up a sign-up sheet at the coming Justice League meeting this Friday so we can mull over the brackets the morning of. What do you think?"

"What?"

"I'm thinking we put some streamers through the cave, just to liven things up a bit. For some of them it will be their first time in the BatCave. We should at least make it festive. No need for them to know just how dour it is every day,"

"Diana!" Bruce finally caught his girlfriend's attention, "Are you serious about this… tournament?"

"Of course!" She laughed, "At first it was just a joke to annoy you, but now I think it's a really good idea!" She took a look at the hard man's face and pursed her lips, "By the way, there's nothing at stake here, Bruce. It's fighting for fun. That's it,"

"Then what's the point?"

"I just said it. Fun,"

The two stared at each other as if they were speaking completely different languages until finally Bruce turned away and completed his descent, "We'll discuss it more when I get back later," His voice shifted from Bruce to Batman flawlessly, "Right now, it's time for work,"

As he approached the Batcomputer and Diana approached the hangar, Kimber and Curtis entered the 'Cave.

"Is this for real?" Kimber asked, face buried in her phone, "You're hosting a fighting tournament and party? Here?"

"Change,"

As the two partners scampered into the Armory, he caught a bit of their hushed conversation, "D'you think he will be there?"

"Why wouldn't he be? They're friends, right? I've always wanted to see an exhibition of Kryptonian martial arts,"

Two doors to the changing room closed and their conversation was lost, becoming muffled sounds and laughs. Batman turned his attention to the Batcomputer completely and began charting the optimal course to the Nevada base.

"You sure this is what you want to do?" Diana rested a hand on Batman's shoulder.

"I have to. A weapon such as that is too powerful to just lose to the government,"

"Would you rather it be held by the Justice League?" she asked.

"I'd rather it be destroyed," he responded, "It ate tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of planets before it even landed here. We stopped it from eating our own, but what's to say there isn't another one heading this way right now that may land tomorrow? Or next week? Or next millennium? Best case would be to have Dr. Palmer study the machine, figure out how to beat it, catalog that and then destroy it,

"A gun is the weapon of a coward, Diana," He continued "You point and pull the trigger. No thought involved. Sometimes, you barely get even a glimpse of the person on the end; but the DarkHeart? That's a horrid thing. A weapon that continues to kill after the trigger has been pulled… after the gun has been destroyed… after the one who fired it has been long dead. It needs to be accounted for,"

Diana gave a small nod, "I won't stop you, then," She stepped back and allowed Batman to stand and make his way to the Armory to change just as Batgirl and Robin emerged in their uniforms.

"'Sup, Batman," Batgirl greeted her mentor with casual interest, "What's the plan?"

The Dark Knight moved between the two into the recesses of the Armory but spoke as he moved, "Under the cover of night, we will approach the Nevada desert in the Flying Fox. Diana's finished some adjustments that will allow the Flying Fox to generate a zeta tube for quick travel from here to Nevada,"

He emerged in full regalia, his cape draped over his back and his gaze set on his twin partners, "Once in Nevada, we will be touching down just a few miles outside of a small independent settlement. That should be far enough away from both the settlement and the base below it that the Flying Fox will be undetectable,"

Robin looked over the heavy dropship, "Any reason you're taking this and not something… stealthier?"

"The stealth panels of the Flying Fox afford it a radar silhouette close enough to that of a common vulture," Batman responded, "The Flying Fox also features state-of-the-art cloaking systems. It will be fine,"

"That didn't actually answer my question," Robin quietly pointed out.

The Bat only glared at Robin and continued his briefing, "Wonder Woman has something to attend to herself, so we will be relying on Alfred for 'Cave communications and analysis. This is strictly a surveillance mission and once we are in the base, we are under no circumstances to engage any of the soldiers there. Do not even be seen by them. Is that clear?"

Batgirl gulped and Robin shifted his weight between his feet, "Clear, boss," both replied despite the wellspring of fear that tickled their stomachs. The two young people exchanged glances and then looked to Diana.

"Sorry, no Oracle tonight to watch your wings," she winked, "But I'm sure you all will do fine. After all, I wasn't always watching over you,"

Batman walked away from the group, striding up to the entry ramp of the Flying Fox, "Let's go,"

Diana watched as Batgirl and Robin entered Batman's dropship. From her position, she could barely make out her lover's covered head in the cockpit. His head and eyes turned down to the multitude of dials and gauges that monitored the numerous functions of the Flying Fox, "Hera, keep him safe," she whispered.

Batman's head raised up and he looked out the bulletproof window at Diana. It was almost as if he'd heard her prayer. She tentatively and lovingly raised a hand and waved, a sad smile slowly spread over her face. Batman only nodded at her then turned his attention forward.

Slowly, the powerful dropship rose from the docking bay in the cramped 'Cave hangar and made its way to the false wall of the cave. It took a moment for the hard light hologram to shimmer out of the way of the Flying Fox, but once it had disappeared, the vehicle rocketed out of the cave like a bat out of hell. As it went, Diana caught Batgirl's helmeted head in the rear port window. She seemed to be laughing, probably with Robin.

_Laughing on such a mission._ Diana shook her head, _As long as she's with him, she's happy. I know the feeling, sister. Speaking of which,_ She walked from the hangar to the harbor and hit the button to ring Atlantis. It would probably take ten or so minutes for the buoy's signal to reach the submerged kingdom, but Diana had time.


	5. Part 1: Chapter 5

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)** and then Act 2 **( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )** if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

The Flying Fox screamed over the bay headed for the ocean. Batgirl watched as Gotham and civilization receded into the horizon with the sister city of Metropolis not far behind. Her mind raced as more and more the boats below faded from view, "So, this ship-generated zeta tube… how do you know it will work?"

Batman called from the cockpit, "I've run numerous calculations on the mechanics. Theoretically, everything is in place,"

"Theoretically?" Batgirl slid from her chair and approached Batman, "You mean this hasn't been tested?"

"It's about to be," Batman replied, "I know that Darkseid was able to use them from his Apokalyptian ships when he invaded Earth years ago," He flicked a few switches and from under his chair, he felt the mechanical buzzing of the energy cell that powered the confiscated motherbox come to life.

"You're okay with this, Robin?"

Robin reclined in his chair, arms clasped behind his head and his eyes closed behind his lenses, "Calm down, Batgirl," he sounded even more relaxed than Batman, "We aren't dying today. Just sit your butt down and relax,"

Batgirl remained standing.

"If it makes you feel better," Robin added, "I did run some of my own simulations. Out of four hundred sims, only ninety-one resulted in failure. Those are pretty good odds,"

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better,"

"Well, either way you should strap in," Batman commanded, "The gate's about to open,"

The words had scarcely left Batman's mouth when a heavy jolt shook the cabin followed by a thundering crack as space-time was again violated. Batgirl fell to the metal floor and stood quickly on shaky legs. As she stood and grasped a support bar, she glanced out the cockpit viewscreen, "Oh my,"

The tear in reality pulsed unstably as it quickly swallowed the Flying Fox. The zeta tubes they used to travel from the BatCave to the Watchtower was the same technology, and while she was still a bit leery on using the same technology that nearly brought an eldritch abomination into the world to travel from state to state, she couldn't deny the convenience. But seeing a zeta tube this close and in person, it filled her with primal fear.

She stumbled away from the sight and backpedaled into the seat next to Robin. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around his arm and drew him in close.

"You okay?" he asked with a hint of concern.

"Yeah," she replied shakily, "Just haven't seen a boomtube that big since-"

"I know," Robin cut her off, "But these are zeta tubes," he corrected, "Not boom tubes. They purposefully can't cross that divide, remember?"

She nodded absentmindedly, "Doesn't matter… I half expected to see _it_ on the other side,"

Robin leaned forward a bit and peeked over Batman's shoulder, "Instead we're greeted with the twilight sky over a painted desert," He rubbed her thigh reassuringly, "How 'bout that?"

The Flying Fox began its descent to the dry desert floor. Batman called back to his charges, "We'll be on land soon. Just going to clear some things up locally, check on the settlement and make sure we're in the clear. Get ready,"

"Right-o," Robin saluted their pilot and as Batman double-checked that they hadn't been spotted, he used Alfred to monitor the towns in the nearby area. Or rather, _town_ for there was only one. A small outpost town colloquially known as 'Left Knube' but with no actual official name.

The limited information Robin was able to glean about the settlement was that it was nothing more than a few hanger-ons of the old military base that was posted nearby; a remnant of a satellite town that developed in the early 1960s when the now-defunct military base of Los Lago was thriving.

After the wall in Berlin came down, the base was closed and abandoned by the government. When the soldier's left, the lifeblood of the town left. Now all that remained were a few self-sufficient mom and pop shops, a handful of people too backwards and impoverished to leave, and a myriad of empty buildings of various sizes at various stages of degradation. Or so his research revealed. Of course, Robin knew enough working with the Bat to be paranoid and skeptical, especially of the government. The town was a front. That base was never shut down.

He looked out the nearest porthole to the earth below but still the town was out of sight. He looked back to Batgirl, "How you holding up?"

She grinned at him beneath her helmet. Filtered light from the setting Western sun tickled her chin, "I'm ready to kick some ass,"

"Recon only, remember?"

"I know, but do you really think the Bat came here just to observe?"

"Yes,"

"You still take him at his word?" Her question was more hushed this time.

Robin frowned, "No. We know better than that. First hand. Why?"

"Why do you think he took the Flying Fox?" she asked back. A slight flexing on her cheek hinted at an arched eyebrow, "Really think about this,"

Robin sighed, "The zeta tube generator takes a lot of power and would be easier to support integrated into a powerful battery. Besides, flying here in the Batplane at supersonic speeds wouldn't be just disorienting and take longer, it would be too loud,"

"Please, you and I both know that the Flying Fox and the Batplane both have similar enough power outputs. Yes this tub has more raw power, but it also has to carry more weight, the Batplane doesn't. The difference between the two is negligible at best and both would have enough residual power to power the zeta tube. He had the choice of which to install it in and he chose the Flying Fox,"

"Since when did you know so much?" Robin joked.

"Hey, I like chemistry, remember?" She tapped her protected dome with a finger, "I may not be familiar with the tech, but I've done my fair share of working on the batteries for both machines in the last six months. Enhancing the efficiency of their chemical reactions and such… Robin, the only difference between the Flying Fox and the Batplane is-"

"Carrying capacity," He looked around the empty cargo bay and a chill ran down his spine.

"Exactly," Batgirl affirmed, "It won't fit the whole thing, but I think he wants to take at least a piece with him. A substantial piece,"

"You think all that talk about destroying it was nonsense?"

"No, you?"

"No… but now I bet he wants to be the one in charge of the research and destruction,"

"He doesn't trust," Batgirl agreed.

"Especially after General Eiling made his malevolent intentions clear,"

"Who?"

"Buckle up," Batman called back to his partners, "We're landing,"

The Bat and Bird scampered to their seats and fastened their safety belts. As an added precaution, Batgirl gripped the handrail of her seat tightly. Her other hand found Robin's and she held onto his with just as much passion.

"I love you," she whispered into Robin's ear.

"I love you, too, babe,"

* * *

Diana's foot tapped impatiently on the BatCave's dock as she watched the still harbor waters lap up against the metal dock. She felt a slight burning in her chest. As much as she was made and bred for war, she had her mother's heart and compassion. Seeing Arthur storm out of the restaurant earlier in the evening made her angry. Very angry. _How could you do that to a person?_

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

The signal usually took ten minutes at the most. As angry as Diana was with the queen, she was on the verge of worry. She had pinged Atlantis twenty minutes ago and for there to be no response for so long, did fill her with slight unease. After all, what if Mera _did_ have a good reason for bailing on Oliver?

Her worry was soon slightly distilled when the surface of the waters broke and a fierce red head of hair emerged with a haughty smile, "Diana, what a pleasant surprise! I heard the tapping echoing in the water and assumed Batman had called me,"

"Does he usually tap impatiently?"

"At times, yes," Queen Mera's upper body came into view and she rested her elbows on the dock and looked up at Diana. Her haughty, practiced smile melted into a true toothy grin. The shift almost reminded her of Bruce's own practiced grin melting into the chiseled face of the Batman. Both wore facades.

"Could you come out of the water, Mera?" Diana tried her best to sound non-threatening but could tell by Mera's unsure expression that she was failing, "I have to discuss something with you,"

Mera looked around uncomfortably, "We can't discuss it here?"

"I'd rather we be on even ground," Diana replied simply.

Mera scratched her face and looked away, "Whatever you have to say, you can say it to me here,"

Diana pursed her lips, "Don't make me fish you out of the water, Mera,"

"Fine," ice-water dripped from Mera's mouth. All the same, the queen pulled herself out of her domain with a grunt and stood before the Amazon princess, "What is it, Diana?"

Now being at eye level with the Atlantean queen, Diana relaxed a little bit, "I went on a double date tonight," she started shyly. She hoped the vulnerability in her voice would catch Mera off-guard.

It did.

"Oh, uh, congratulations?" Mera looked around the 'Cave with slight confusion, "You and Bruce?"

"Of course!" Diana laughed, "Who else am I seeing?"

"And who was the other couple?" Mera looked back at Diana with a questioning look, "One of Wayne's social circle of pompous men?"

Diana shook her head, "No, we went with Curtis and Kimber," She flicked nonexistent dirt from her fingernail.

"The Batgirl and Robin? That's sweet," Mera nodded with a genuine smile, "Was it good?"

"It was quite sweet, sister," Diana agreed, "Aside from a rocky start, we had a wonderful time," she looked from the back of her hand directly into Mera's eyes, "We had Italian. Little place in Gotham; expensive, but worth the cost,"

"Oh? Oh! Oh..." Mera's face ran the gamut of emotions from pleasantry to surprise to realization. The dawning of realization on her face quickly was caught and shoved away, "Diana, I can explain - about Ollie,"

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Diana said, "I just hope it's a good explanation,"

Mera's mouth opened and closed a few times as she searched for the right words to say, "Look, I like him, you know that,"

"And now the rest of the Bat-clan have an idea, as well,"

Mera's heart dropped a few inches behind her sternum but she continued on, "Look, there were some things I needed to take care of in Atlantis and I had to give him a raincheck on dinner, I'm sure he'll understand,"

"Really?" Diana crossed her arms, "Like what? Was Atlantis under attack? Was Atlantis having a supreme trial that you had to preside over? Was Mereena in some sort of trouble she could not handle? Pray, tell me what the problem was?"

Mera gave her friend a wry smile, "You forget I am the queen of a kingdom,"

"That's not an answer,"

"Lots of little things that would become bigger if I hadn't stepped in, Diana,"

"Lots of little things that couldn't wait a night?"

Mera was silent.

"Oliver's a good guy. A bit abrasive but he's got a big heart. He puts on a rough and callus exterior that he doesn't care about much, but you know as well as I that it's a defensive measure. This past year with the League, it's been obvious he feels some sort of attraction to you. And it's been plenty obvious, now that I know, that you harbor feelings for him. So why ditch him on the date?"

"I had to, Diana," Mera repeated, "There were some things I had to take care of!"

"And they couldn't wait a single evening? Not even a whole night, mind you, just a single evening. Barely two hours,"

"Diana, Atlantis needs me,"

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out about this? Or did you think that if I found out, I would be okay with how he was treated?"

"I'm a queen, Diana, I have responsibilities,"

"Great Hera, Mera, so what? He runs a company! He protects a city! You don't think he has responsibilities as well? You couldn't have sent him a message before the date and given him a date that would work better? Great Hera, Mera!"

"Diana, I did what I had to do for Atlantis!"

A stillness descended on the cave and a slight wind disturbed the curly hair on both their heads. Mera and Diana faced each other as if in a standoff, neither speaking: Mera biting her tongue hoping she hadn't said too much and Diana contemplating just how to respond.

Finally, Diana broke the silence, "'For Atlantis'?" she repeated Mera's reasoning in the form of a question, "What do you mean you had to do this for Atlantis? You mean you stayed behind to work on something instead of going on the date because Atlantis needed it right? Tell me you aren't saying that because it's better for you to not have Oliver in Atlantis... Mera?"

Water creeped from behind Mera's eyes and slightly slipped down her cheek. That was all the answer Diana needed.

"Mera, for the love of- I need to know that you didn't blow off this date and stand up Oliver, a good friend and ally might I remind you, because of petty politics!"

"He's a surface-dweller!" Mera exploded, "He's too crass, too simple! Everything has a direct solution to him, point A to point B. That's it!" Mera continued to spew, "He's a good man but he is no king. Do you know how that would look if he became an Atlantis ambassador? It would be a disaster! Very few surface-dwellers have ever stepped foot in my kingdom and none have ever been in a position of power. Am I really about to be the queen to introduce and integrate the surface-world with Atlantis on such a level?" she panted as she ran out of breath, "How would I look?"

Diana felt her brow crease more and more as Mera's true reasons made themselves known, "You'd look like a hero. Celebrated as the queen that propelled Atlantis into the future," she replied quietly, "What were you thinking would be your legacy if you did?"

Mera raised her arms haphazardly and then dropped them, "Not that," she said, "Oliver is a good man and I want to see him, I want to be with him, but can I really?"

"Yes,"

"No," Mera corrected, "Atlantis isn't ready for that. I am not ready for that. I want a relationship with him, but maybe not one that is so obvious… not yet,"

"He won't wait around for you forever," Diana warned, "He's not some machine you can put on standby and come back to later. He's quite the catch, a good man, and you're going to lose him,"

Mera's sharp green eyes flashed to Diana, "I am quite the catch, too," she said with certainty, "I won't lose him," She looked back to the dark waters, "I just have to… talk with him," She waded back into the waters and gave a courteous wave to her host, "I will see you later, Diana. I have a kingdom to run,"

Diana watched Mera sink beneath the waters and couldn't help but shake her head. Mera didn't understand romance. People weren't promised to other people like that. Oliver wouldn't wait for anyone, especially one as callous about ghosting a date. He didn't care for status; not even a queen could tame that man.

"It is what it is," Diana sighed.

She approached the stairs to descend to the lower levels of the BatCave, away from the rising moonlight, and stepped further into a recess in the rocks. Against the craggy surface, she felt around for a slight lever. It took a few moments of blind feeling around, but soon her slender fingers found the thin but sturdy metal and with a smooth pull, the lever fell. A portion of the rock face slid forward and then to the side, exposing a hidden meditation chamber.

The meditation chamber had been built by Bruce and designed by both her and Bruce; it marked their first official addition to the BatCave. _Their_ first addition. Modeled after ancient Greco-Roman meditation sites on Themyscira, the meditation chamber was a small, bathroom-sized alcove within the rock lit by ever-burning candles and a unique lightrock: a gift from Superman.

Diana stepped into the chamber and felt the warmth from the candles tease away the cool of the Cave. Once she was fully inside, she brushed her hand over an interior switch and the rock-door slid back into place, closing her off from everything within the BatCave.

She approached the incense burners and lit them with a nearby candle. Instantly, the smells of her homeland filled the space and rushed into her nostrils. Next, she approached the rugs neatly folded into cubby holes on the wall. She chose a particular maroon-colored rug with golden tassels and a simple embroidered design and spread it out in the center of the room.

She felt a bead of sweat speed down her neck and approached the vent controls to let a bit of the cool night air in. Once she was satisfied with the temperature and layout of the chamber, she stripped off her outer coverings, leaving her in just what she'd normally be wearing on her island home: a simple cloth tunic and skirt with a tiara centered on her forehead. She removed her shoes and socks, placing the socks in the shoes then the shoes by the entrance, then sat cross-legged on the rug she'd laid out.

The hard rock was a bit unpleasant to sit on, and with only the cloth of the rug and the cloth of the tunic between her rear and the stone, she made a mental note to raise the issue with Bruce. He may not care for comfort when meditating, but that didn't mean the option should not be there. She pushed the discomfort from her mind and focused.

"Hera… hear me,"

She reached within herself and ignored all external stimuli. The world of the physical fell away as she entered the same state she'd been in when Batgirl lay dying on the MedLab table over a year previous. Last time she petitioned the gods, her spirit had been frantic and pushed by adrenaline to break that barrier. This time with less excitement, it would take a bit more to cross that threshold.

She felt her breath leave her mouth and next thing she knew, her eyes were open to the world. But she was still sitting, eyes closed, in the chamber. As she sat, she stood from her body and paid little attention to the juxtaposition of her current state.

"Diana, redeemed princess of the Amazons. Next in line to the throne of Themyscira. How are you?" The stern voice of Hera caught her attention and she spun in place to face her patron.

"Hera!" Upon facing the powerful goddess, Diana bent on one knee and bowed her head in a sign of respect and subservience.

"Rise, Diana," Hera said with mirth in her voice, "After our last encounter, it should be clear that reverence to me is formality at best. You are beyond that, now,"

Diana froze up for a bit, then slowly rose, "Yes, Hera. I-"

"You haven't answered my question, young one. How are you? How are things going?" Hera turned from Diana and more of Hera's surroundings came into view, "I haven't been checking in as much as before. Don't know if you've noticed," She was pruning a growing olive tree.

Diana was taken aback by the casual tone Hera was using, "I… Things have… been fine,"

"Good. That's good," Hera said cheerfully, "Things have been going well here, too, Diana. Have you been keeping in contact with your mother?"

"We exchange letters every few weeks, yes," Diana slowly walked around Hera, "You know she's not much for technology and I highly doubt the island has phone service,"

"Very true," Hera replied, "But do they really need it? What with scrying and such methods,"

"And such methods-What's going on here?"

"Diana, daughter of Hippolyta, you never beseech me to speak with me. Only when you need something," Hera lazily looked at Diana, "But what could you need from me now?" Hera dropped her hands and faced the heroine, "Your powers have returned full force, you've demonstrated time and time again that you have direct access to your powers, no longer requiring to invoke my name," she sounded almost bitter and yet proud, "You've grown so much,"

"Thank you, Hera,"

"What is it you desire, Diana?"

Diana's mouth hung open. She'd never actually said it aloud. It was one thing to think it, for the past year and a half, she'd been thinking it… But to actually say it out loud gave her pause. After all, you can think about anything, but to actually say something you have to pass the thought through more brain matter. You have to ask yourself if it is really something worth saying. She couldn't help but feel a little foolish as she judged her request.

But then she thought about him. She couldn't live without him. She wouldn't live without him. It would be as if the world stopped spinning. And as selfish as the request was, there was no doubt that the world itself out benefit from the requests fulfillment.

"I want you to sustain Bruce Wayne's life."

* * *

Mawk put his phone on standby and slipped it into his pocket. The news from Curtis that the Bat-Clan was headed back to Nevada to track down the DarkHeart filled him with a bit of jealousy. He wasn't jealous of Curtis spending more time with Kimber; far from it. Mawk and Kimber had been separated over a year now. He'd moved on. Rather, he was jealous that Curtis would get more fighting time.

Crime in Star City was at an all-time low. After all, the city was protected by two of the more personable and relatable faces of the Justice League. Green Arrow and Arsenal were a force to be reckoned with. With their quivers full of trick arrows, they deftly cleaned up their city streets night by night, just like the Bats in Gotham. However, unlike Gotham, the gangs were not nearly as nested into the city's underbelly. Supervillains weren't a biweekly occurrence, and the odd time someone _did_ attempt at a more grander scheme against the city, the Arrows were quick to cut it down.

Mawk had once wondered to Curtis just why it was so easy for Star City's streets to remain clean while Gotham's streets were, comparatively, filled with crime. It was then Curtis reminded him that Gotham had always been a seat of organized crime on the east coast and Batman was playing catch up to get ahead. Mawk didn't envy that task at all. But he did envy the action.

He swiveled from his desk and faced the window of his studio apartment. A light breeze pushed against his sheer curtains and he rolled up to the window, "Man, I'm bored,"

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he reached for it quickly, his heart racing as it anticipated either an update from Curtis or a notice from G. A. Heck, he'd even settle for a message from Kimber regarding her work in Nevada. He checked the message and the thudding in his heart slowed. No such luck. Just a text from his father asking how things were going.

He shot back a quick text saying things were going as well as they could. He was stuck with a term paper to finish and a few more essays to write for some law school applications. The text had scarcely left his phone when his father's response came through asking if he was studying for the LSAT. Mawk rolled his eyes and sent back an affirming text.

"Man, I wish something would happen," He looked over his shoulder at the half-empty second page of his Literature paper with slight resentment.

It was due tomorrow and the various reference books that flanked the page conveniently reminded him he only had one and a half pages done out of the requisite five. His phone buzzed again and Mawk knew it would be his father asking to video chat but he wasn't in the mood to speak with his mom and dad. He was in the mood for something exciting.

His eyes drifted to the corner closet that harbored a false back. Behind the false back hung his Arsenal uniform and equipment. The closest Quiver was two blocks away. He could throw on the suit and even do just a simple patrol. Green Arrow wouldn't have to know.

A knock at his door shook him from his thoughts and with a sigh, Mawk stood from his chair. The person on the other side of the door knocked again, "I'm coming, I'm coming!" he stretched high to get the blood pumping, "Keep your shirt on,"

More knocking, this time a constant stream. He'd have to get to the door quickly, his neighbor Mrs. Davis usually was in bed by this time and would complain about the slightest noise. Mawk unlatched the first bolt on the door and cracked the door. The chain on the door prevented it from opening more than a few inches, "What?"

"Are you really going to keep me standing out here?" the voice belonged to a young girl and the tone was impatient.

The surprise guest completely caught Mawk off guard, "Mereena?" he hissed, "What are you doing here?"

She placed her hand on her hip and shot him a snarky look, "Freezing my ice off, are you going to open the door or am I going to have to force my way in?"

Quickly, Mawk closed the door and slid the chain from its locked position. The door was barely unlocked when Mereena pushed the light wood door aside and strode into the apartment.

"Finally," she looked around the quaint, slightly messy, abode, "I was beginning to think I'd caught you at a bad time,"

Mawk hastily shut the door and slid every lock closed, "You kinda did," he replied, again hushed. He'd done his best to avoid drawing attention to his apartment. After all, it was his hideout. But in one night, Mereena almost dashed his anonymity. While the heir to the throne of Atlantis wasn't as well-known as her ruling mother, Mereena had become something of a celebrity in teen and tween social circles. If she'd been walking down the street, no doubt at least a few people would recognize her, "How did you get here?"

She scrunched up her nose, "I walked, you goof," she replied.

"From Gotham?"

"No; from the bus stop. I came up in the BatCave, bored, and no one was there. So I borrowed Batgirl's bike. When it became clear that I wouldn't be able to teach myself to ride it, I borrowed some of Batman's loose change and took the bus to the nearest stop,"

"You… borrowed Batgirl's bike? What did you do to her bike?"

She visibly stiffened, "She'll be able to fix it,"

"And how much did you steal from the Cave?"

"Ah," she raised a stern finger, "Borrowed," she corrected, "I _borrowed_ a few hundreds,"

Mawk groaned and sunk against the door slightly, "You stole a few hundred dollars from Bruce Wayne…"

"Borrowed!" Mereena huffed, "I'll pay him back, duh," she plopped into Mawk's vacant chair and spun in a circle, "I'm richer than him. Don't forget that,"

"And what's the exchange rate between the American dollar and the Atlantean… what do you even use? Ducets? Drachmas?"

Mereena laughed aloud, "Oh, please! Don't think us so barbaric! We use coins and dollars, silly, just like you,"

Mawk couldn't help but smile, "Sand dollars?"

Mereena sucked air between her teeth at the joke but grinned, "Our currency is called 'draves', but points for trying," She spun again in his chair and then stopped after a few spins, facing his paper, "What's this? You have schoolwork?"

"Of course, I do," Mawk pushed off the door, "Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought you were done with school?"

"You're not done," Mawk pointed out, "You're still being tutored by your, er, court educators,"

"Yeah, but you're old," she looked at him, eyes wide.

"I'm only a little over a year older than you… you do know that, right?"

She turned back to the paper, "So old…" Her eyes quickly scanned the paper in her and slowly she nodded, "You write pretty well,"

"Thanks?" Mawk snatched the paper from her hand and slapped it back on the desk, "Okay, Mereena, what can I do for you?"

"I'm bored,"

"And how am I supposed to solve that?" he asked, "I'm literally in the same boat as you. I'm bored. But I have to finish that paper tonight. It's due tomorrow and I really need to get a perfect score,"

"Trying to raise your abysmal grade?"

"I'm actually trying to retain a scholarship I was awarded," he admitted, "School doesn't pay for itself without putting in hard work… Curt let me know of a few scholarship opportunities and I was able to snag a Dean's Award as long as my G.P.A. stayed above a 3.5,"

Mereena's mouth curled up, "Must be new for you to receive money for your brain rather than your brawn,"

"What?"

"Kim told me you were on track to a sports scholarship before you were nearly killed and taken out for physical rehab," Mereena's direct and crass approach to the fateful party the last winter of high school caught Mawk off-guard. However, it felt… refreshing.

So often others tap-danced around the event that he'd already come to terms with. Acting as if it was still some sensitive topic still made him feel more awkward than if they'd just be direct. But so far only Batman spoke of the event with the sterile bluntness that made Mawk feel more comfortable. To Mawk, it had been a life changing event, but he was sure to the Bat, it had just been another normal night. And to know that it was just a normal thing to someone filled him with reassurance.

"Okay, so you're bored and I'm bored," he said, "What are you going to do about it?"

She eyed him up and down, grinning like the Cheshire cat, "How about you get dressed in something more comfortable and we take a walk through the town?"

He wrinkled his forehead slightly, "Are you asking me out? How old are you again?"

She rolled her eyes with an over-exaggerated exasperation, "No, you goof," she mimed firing a bow and arrow.

"Can't," he replied simply, "Gotta work on this stuff and-"

Mereena ignored his protestations and unbuckled her long coat-jacket's belt and let the heavy covering fall to the floor revealing the sleek, scaly green-black body armor that had become her hero uniform, "Don't make me go out there alone," she stepped up to the window and slid it open, "After all, as you reminded me, I'm still a minor for a few more months," she glanced back at him and he almost caught a look of disappointment.

"G.A. knows that I have this paper," Mawk protested again, "He's banned me from going out tonight. Besides, what crime would be happening right now?"

"Your surface cities are never quiet! Look at Gotham!" Mereena leaned against the window sill, eyes pleading.

"Star City is not Gotham," Mawk shot back, a bit offended, "Trust me. You're already dressed, so you go out there and fight,"

"If it is a simple wardrobe change, there's a simple spell I can teach you to switch clothes," she snapped her fingers in sudden excitement, "That's it! We're not going on 'patrol', it's a study break. And you're just going to be studying a different subject for an hour or two,"

"And that subject is?"

Her eyes lit up, "Magic,"


	6. Part 1: Chapter 6

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

The Flying Fox touched down on the painted Nevada desert just as the last rays of the sun were consumed by the horizon. As soon as the slight bounce of the landing gear happened, Robin and Batgirl unclasped hands then seat belts and stood. Robin stretched high and Batgirl set to work double checking her uniform and its contents.

"Where are we going?"

"We should have landed a few hundred yards from town," Robin replied, "Batman?"

"Active camouflage is engaged and the ramp is pointed away from the settlement. You should be good to open the rear bay door," Batman descended the very short stairs from the cockpit to the main chamber.

Robin unlocked the door and with a hydraulic hiss, the bay door opened and the ramp lowered.

"If it's not obvious by now, the settlement is a front. The military never left the area and has been using the settlement as a face for what has become an expansive subterranean base. There's no telling how deep or how widespread the facility actually is. It's one of the government's best-kept secrets. Even during the reign of the Justice Lords, we were not aware of it,"

"A large underground base you didn't know about?" Robin looked to his mentor, a smile playing on his lips, "Jealous?"

Batman directed a withering stare at the young man, "Hardly," He looked back forward, "I just don't like being kept in the dark," Batman snapped his head to Batgirl and gave her a look, "And don't you dare say 'ironic'," he warned her.

"Damn," Batgirl took an abrupt step back, "You're catching on to our humor,"

"Going on two years of working with you both. I'm learning to manage," He strode forward off the Flying Fox and into the desert flanked by his two proteges.

As the trio crossed the desert looking like something out of a Western nightmare, Robin looked spoke to his mentor, "The DarkHeart, when we find it, what are you anticipating we do with it?"

"That much power and technology cannot go unchecked,"

"Well, to be fair, the 'Cave is a hotbed of bleeding edge tech, too right?" Batgirl pointed out, "What if this is just the government's BatCave? What they develop isn't your business anymore, _Lord_ Batman," It was a dangerous insinuation she was laying out, but one she felt was worth the risk.

Batman bared his teeth and tensed up. He knew what she was playing at and he agreed it _was_ a slippery slope. Hopefully, they'd keep him grounded. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, "When we helped stop the DarkHeart and learned what it was, I knew it had to be destroyed. When General Eiling gave a veiled threat to the League, he made it my business what they are doing with the DarkHeart. We are here for the DarkHeart and nothing more,"

Batgirl 'hmmed' but kept walking.

"So how do we get down there?" Robin asked.

"The settlement's buildings must have hidden entrances peppered throughout. Probably in a few of the establishments,"

"And how do we get out?"

"The same way we got in," Batman replied, slightly amused.

"Let me rephrase that," Robin said, "How do we get out with the piece of the DarkHeart?"

Batman looked at Robin.

"Don't look at me," Robin pointed to Batgirl, "She is the one who figured it out first,"

Again Batman looked to Batgirl.

"Before I left on my trip, you had me work on the conversion reaction of both the Batplane and the Flying Fox. They are equal in power and the amount of draw from the Zeta Tube generator would have had the same power demands from either machine. If anything, the Batplane would have been able to handle it better. But you chose to install it into the Flying Fox… and right before this mission,"

"The only difference between the Batplane and the Flying Fox is carrying capacity," Robin added, "We're detectives, remember?"

Batman looked straight ahead with a slight sigh and Batgirl swore she saw a smile tickle his lip a bit, "Perhaps I've trained you both too well,"

"No such thing, Boss," Batgirl said, "You're trying to take a piece of the DarkHeart,"

"If it isn't already destroyed and we can't pull off the destruction, yes," Batman admitted, "In the wrong hands, that tech is destructive beyond imagination. But in the right hands… I think it could do some good,"

"Really?" Robin was taken aback by that, "You think the machine from space that disassembled things at a near molecular level to add to its mass could be a good thing? You saw what it did to that plateau and those that died,"

"Yes," Batman held out his hand to slow their progress as the sleepy settlement finally loomed into view. He hunched over and motioned for his partners to do the same, "But think of the bigger picture," he said in a more hushed tone, "What that alien culture built for evil can be repurposed. A machine that can disassemble any matter could be applied in the waste sector in a way that could kickstart a cleaner way to clean up the environment and handle refuse. Go a step further into manufacturing,"

"Anything you put in could come out as anything else you wish," Robin followed Batman's train of thought, "That's…"

"Brilliant!" Batgirl quietly exclaimed, "We'd never have to gather thrown Bat-a-rangs again!" Both men glared at her and she sheepishly sank to the back of the group, "I'm just sayin'..."

The trio stalked up to the dry brush that peppered the outer perimeter of the barely alive settlement. The building that stood before them a few hundred yards away could have easily been built in the late 1940s. The pale pink paint was peeling from the decades of exposure to the harsh Nevada sun and sands. A few locals pattered out from the building's entrance and walked down the dusty road to other worn buildings.

Batman removed a pair of binoculars and gazed from their hideout to the small town. A few people walked the streets. While some made way for destinations, a few that wandered the streets seemed almost aimless. He narrowed his eyes through the binoculars and focused on one of the wanderers that walked with a barely conspicuous limp, "Guards," he muttered.

"What?"

"They're guards," Batman repeated, "The ones that wander around aimlessly are actually perimeter guards making sure no one gets close to the site without being seen," he directed his attention to the roof of the tall, pale pink building, "If we can sneak up close enough behind the larger building, we could rappel to the top for a better vantage point. There may even be an access hatch from the top,"

"Do you hear that?" Batgirl asked in a low voice.

"What?" Robin closed his eyes and listened, but whatever Batgirl was hearing, he wasn't picking up. Then he felt the ground shake just a smidge, "Okay, I felt something,"

"I felt it, too," Batgirl braced herself on the ground with her hand and looked at her mentor.

Batman looked away from the binoculars to Batgirl. She was visibly worried. He had felt the tremors, but being so close to a few fault lines, it was no doubt expected a few earthquakes would occur. Especially with the massive facility beneath. Then he looked through the binoculars again and saw the lights slightly flicker, "I think it's the facility shuddering. We have to get in there, now,"

Batman left no room for argument. He stood and rapidly approached just as the tremors started back up again, this time a tad more severe. Batgirl and Robin stood up and immediately rushed after Batman. As the trio approached the close, tall building, they flattened themselves against the pink wall and caught their breath.

"The shaking's getting worse," Batgirl commented quietly.

Batman nodded and peeked around the corner of the building, "The guards are scattering. This isn't normal for them. They're distracted," His keen eyes scanned the different buildings across the dirt road. Even though the oppressive darkness of night was quickly growing, his night vision lenses allowed him to catch details he would have otherwise missed. For example, the slight raise of an otherwise imperceptible hidden hatch across the road.

"There," he motioned for his companions to follow him, "Follow my lead," Batman curled around the building when there was a lull in guard and settlement denizen activity with Batgirl and Robin in close pursuit. The trio approached the main dirt road and Batman held up a fist quickly. They flattened themselves against the building's wall, letting the tall tower's shadow obscure them from view.

A party of guards ran by their hiding spot and a few broke off from the group, lagging behind to watch over the area, "Keep your eyes peeled, boys," a lankier fellow with an automatic ordered, "The last thing we need is a containment breach. The subject cannot, and I repeat, _cannot _breach the surface. It must remain below ground. Anything attempts to get out, you light it up. Remember: it's flesh and blood. It''ll still bleed just like anyone else,"

Two of the guards gave a smart salute and the third only nodded, "We will hold it here, commander. Do what you have to do,"

The commander nodded and rushed off into the building the Bat-Clan were hiding against. As soon as they heard the door slam, the three guards spread out in opposite directions slightly but still remained close enough to pose a threat to Batman and his partners. The ground shook again, a more obvious subterranean explosion.

"We can take 'em," Batgirl made a fist and cracked her knuckles.

But as she stepped forward, Robin caught her with his hand and pressed her back against the wall, "We most definitely can," he whispered, "But then what? The goal of this mission included not being seen. If we take them out, we risk them seeing us, which puts the entire League in jeopardy. And even if we're not seen, their unconscious forms will be found and security will be raised even higher. No, we have to divert their attention,"

Batman agreed. He tapped a few keys on his wrist gauntlet and waited, "I have something we could probably use in his situation. Patience," He put a finger to his lips.

A low buzzing came from the desert behind them and a small remote control car whizzed by their hidden feet. It was small, orange and grey and styled almost like a derby car with comically rounded features and a small camera mounted on its trunk facing forward.

Immediately, Batgirl recognized the toy, "Hey! Isn't that a prop from the Grey Ghost?" She asked in an excited but hushed tone, "I thought those were all destroyed years ago when Yestertoys went up?"

Batman slightly nodded, "They were. This is a replica," he navigated the car deftly, his fingers at the control on his wrist and his lenses providing him the view from the car's camera. He swerved the tiny thing between the legs of the occupied guards and into an alleyway across and further on down the road. Once Batman was satisfied with its placement, he initiated the self-destruct.

"I'm just surprised it wasn't bat-themed, "Robin remarked with a wry smile.

"We aren't supposed to be here," Batman said, "If any part of it is recovered, I wouldn't want it traced back to us,"

"Recovered? What do you mean reco-"

Robin's question was interrupted as an above ground explosion rocked the building where the RC car had disappeared to. On cue, the three guards nearby immediately ran to investigate creating an opening for the Dark Knight and his partners.

"Let's go,"

The three each grabbed ahold of their capes and ran, bent low, across the open dirt road as the settling debris still demanded the attention of the guards. Within seconds, they were across the main street and in the dark alley where Batman had spotted the barely perceptible hatch. He crouched down and took the trap door's rim in his hands. With a low grunt, he opened the hatch and nodded, "Go,"

Smooth as a black liquid, the Titanic Trio soundlessly slipped beneath the ground and into the belly of the subterranean base.

* * *

Arsenal swung between two buildings and deeper into the alleyway as a mugger made off with an older woman's purse. The young thief glanced behind him as he ran and upon seeing Arsenal closing in on him, began to panic. In fear, he wrapped the purse's strap more tightly around his hand and increased his pace.

Arsenal released and retracted the high tension cable he swung on and raised his wrist mounted crossbow. He had one shot at this. If he missed, he'd be looking at another few blocks of pursuit before he could get close enough to the man physically, to stop him. He let out half of the air in his lungs and stilled his heart. His ears dulled and he focused all of his senses and being into one singular target: the man with the purse, "_Deno_,"

The bolt on his wrist flew as soon as he activated the trigger. As it went, the tip of the bolt subtly flashed green as the word of power infused the tangible with the intangible. It whizzed through the air making a beeline for the fleeing man's legs. It struck the ground just behind the mugger with a slight _'plink'_. Then the magic happened.

Ethereal green chains erupted from the landed bolt and lashed out after the mugger. A few of the bindings found their mark and wrapped around the mugger's legs. With a harsh tug, the chains pulled the man to the ground. Arsenal's victim yelped out in surprise as he was slowly reeled across the ground. Frantic, the man turned onto his back and looked at his destination.

Arsenal stood a few yards away, looming in the dark light of the city's night sky. In one hand he held his bow and in the other, an arrow by the end of the shaft. As the mugger was reeled in closer to the magical bolt lying on the ground, Arsenal nocked his arrow and spoke, "You shouldn't have taken that lady's purse,"

The mugger felt the dragging slow and then stop. He looked from Arsenal to the glowing chains that had wrapped around his legs, then back to Arsenal. With little other options, the man quickly rolled onto his chest, jumped up onto his feet again and began to hop away frantically. The green chains still bound his legs, but the bolt wasn't anchored to anything.

It took a few seconds for the shock of the anticlimactic moment to wear off and for Arsenal to realize his quarry was quickly, though clumsily, escaping him. Before he could take action to prevent the fleeing mugger, a stream of blue liquid erupted from a side window and knocked the man to the ground, thoroughly drenching him from head to toe in water.

Arsenal spun on his heels and faced Mereena, "I had that!"

Mereena pursed her lips, "Clearly," she strode passed him with her head held high and approached the mugger.

She bent over and yanked the soaked purse from the dazed and water-logged criminal then returned to Arsenal, "I'll return this to its owner; you handle the citizen's arrest,"

Arsenal nodded and drew a pair of zip-ties from his utility belt. He stooped down next to the man, still spitting and sputtering the water from his mouth and attempting to wipe his eyes clear, "You need a towel?" Arsenal joked.

"Ye-Yeah, man," the mugger said between spits, "Y'got one?"

"Mhmm," Arsenal smirked, "Here,"

The water in his face kept his eyes closed so he had no idea he was speaking with the prodigy of the Green Arrow. The mugger instinctively put both hands forward fully expecting to receive a dry cloth to wipe himself off, "Thanks, man. Some water bitch completely-" his words were cut off at the sound and feeling of two zip-ties being tightened around his wrists and then attached together, "What the-?"

The mugger squinted open one eye and looked in shock at Arsenal, "What the heck is this? This ain't no towel!" he protested.

Sirens sounded in the distance and Arsenal nodded, "True, but they will help clean up your act,"

"What kind of lame-ass joke is that?" The mugger attempted again to stand and flee, but forgot his legs were still bound by the ethereal chains. As soon as he attempted to run, he fell back to the hard concrete with a 'thunk' and an 'oof'.

Arsenal shook his head, "_Diaskorpizo,_" The green chains faded from the material plane and the man's legs were free once more. However, Arsenal didn't give the confused man another chance to book it. He drew a single arrow from his quiver and stabbed it through the man's pant leg, nailing him to the ground.

"Now don't go anywhere!" Arsenal said as sirens grew closer and closer, "Your ride's almost here," He felt a tap at his shoulder.

"We should go," Mereena whispered.

Arsenal agreed and fired his line arrow up and into the ledge of a nearby rooftop. In a smooth motion and without really thinking, he wrapped an arm around Mereena's waist, much to her pleasant surprise, and reeled them both to the roof. Moments later, the two vigilantes watched a squad car pull into the alleyway, lights blaring, and an officer of Star City approached the subdued thug.

"Good job,"

"Really?" Arsenal looked to Mereena, surprised at her compliment, "I thought for sure there'd be some ribbing for not anchoring the binding spell properly,"

"Oh, the binding spell was anchored to the bolt properly," she said, "It's the bolt itself that wasn't anchored. I would tease you about completely failing to nail down the bolt," she looked at him with a playful smile, "But I'm no archer, so who am I to tell you that you failed that shot so utterly and miserably that I was forced into action?"

"Oh, that's cut deep, Aquagirl," Arsenal chided her playfully, "I thought we were allies? Friends, even?"

"Oh, please," Mereena sashayed away from the ledge and threw a look at the Crimson bowman from over her covered shoulder, "Our relationship is educator to pupil. Strictly professional. Academic, even,"

Arsenal shook his head in disbelief, "Right, like I'm going to buy that," he muttered. Then he ran after her.

* * *

Three silhouettes stealthily slinked in the industrial rafters. From their hidden perch, Batman, Batgirl and Robin looked down on the controlled chaos below. Smartly dressed guards rushed to and fro a few meters below. A few of the guards started shouting to a separate guard. Though the three couldn't exactly hear when they were yelling, it was clear that the guards were giving conflicting orders.

"Not exactly an organized bunch, are they?" Batgirl noted, "Are these Blackwater guys?"

"I don't think so," Batman responded, "I haven't seen a Blackwater tattoo on any of their necks. I think they are military,"

"Then why are they so disorganized?"

"Something is out of control. Something they didn't expect to lose control of,"

"What?"

But Batman had no answer.

The frame of the underground facility shuddered from a distant impact. The two groups of guards halted their shouting match and ran off towards the source. The three in the shadows watched the men leave.

"It's clear,"

Batman and Batgirl dropped to the ground followed by Robin. Quickly, Batman fired his batclaw at a grate and yanked it open, "Inside,"

Robin got down on his knees and scuttled into the vent, followed quickly by Batgirl. As Batgirl scampered into the vent, Robin messed with the settings in his cowl. He pulled up a secondary radio channel and began to flutter between channels with the limited A.I. of his suit running a few chosen decryption algorithms whenever a channel was secured.

"Keep going," Batman mouthed to Batgirl as he pulled the grate back over the vent.

Batgirl pivoted in place and tapped Robin's shoulder to move further into the ventilation shaft. The movement was slow and steady as they hunch-walked deeper and deeper. A few seconds afterwards, the sounds of footsteps echoed over hollow sheet metal as a few more guards ran by the grate, shouting. But this time, the words could be heard a bit more clearly.

"He's four levels down, so we need to secure the next two floors with G-K! Hit the lights!"

A hollow 'chunk' sounded as a heavy switch was flipped and then the lights in the area the heroes had come from blacked out and were slowly replaced with an eerie pale-green glow. The danger lights in the vents even went out and were replaced with the new light.

"Is this their way of saying everything's okay?" Batgirl asked.

"No," Robin replied, "Batman… is this what I think it is? Is he here?"

Batman shook his head from the rear, "No. This is something else. Someone else,"

"What? What are you talking about?" Batgirl whipped her head from Batman to Robin in confusion.

"But why the lights, then?" Robin ignored his girlfriend's inquiry as they continued their progress.

"Not sure," Batman said, "But let's hope it doesn't impact us,"

"Who? Who?"

"Make a right at the fork," Batman pointed ahead directing Robin.

Robin shuffled to the right, "Slight decline," he whispered back.

"Okay, thanks, but who is the 'he' you're both talking about?"

Robin smirked, "I'm sure you can figure it out,"

"I hate being left out of the loop,"

Another distant explosion and the green lights flickered and the vent shook. Sirens wailed in the distance, seemingly magnified within the vent. The three hidden heroes braced against the metal enclosing them for stability as the facility rocked back and forth.

"I really wish I knew what was happening," Batgirl commented as they continued their sojourn forward. The worry in her voice was tangible and all three felt the discomfort she conveyed.

It took a few tense minutes on the decline but soon the vent leveled itself out again and the trio found themselves back on the straightaway. As they went through the straight path, they passed over a few grates and peered into the pale green below. Guards and other security personnel scattered beneath with purpose, most heading in the opposite direction.

One guard raised a walkie-talkie to his mouth and barked an order into it to seal off subsection twelve of the second floor, "If KR-1 makes it to the second floor, the mayhem that follows him could disrupt the Dr. Tala's experiment!"

Batman and Batgirl watched the man as he waited for a response from whoever he was speaking with. Eventually, the response came, but then both realized that he was wearing an earbud. Even though they could hear there was a response, they could not make out the words. Robin was watching as well, but for a different reason.

When the man pulled out his walkie-talkie, Robin managed to catch a glimpse of the radio frequency in use. While the full band was obscured, he had seen enough to cut down his scan by at least two-thirds. He made the necessary adjustments in secret then looked back at his mentor, "I think we should get moving,"

Batgirl nodded and looked at Batman.

"No," he continued looking below, "Wait,"

From his vantage point, Batman was able to make out the shoes and lower torso of a familiar man, "What are you doing, fool?" The lanky man stepped up to the guard. Though the size difference between the two men was stark, the larger man was visibly shaken by the man in the white lab coat, "You see the chaos that is going on? We need to move the DarkHeart immediately!"

"But-but sir!" the security guard stammered, "DH is unable to be moved! Hamilton is-"

"I don't care what Hamilton is attempting to do!" the doctor shot back, "Tell him I'm ordering a suspension to his experiment pending facility security. If we can't provide a safe and suitable working environment for the experiments, then work should be ceased!" The doctor stepped forward and his narrow face and pointed nose revealed his identity.

"Dr. Milo," Batman's voice was so low, Batgirl thought she'd imagined it.

"Shut down the tests and get it on a service elevator, immediately!"

The guard made an about-face and marched away, internally fuming and redirecting his pent-up frustration at whoever was on the other line. Meanwhile, Milo watched the man march off with smug satisfaction, "It's not like Hamilton was having any success with his project," he added to himself, "After all, what does he know about alien nanotechnology?"

The entire facility shuddered again and distant screaming reverberated off the metal hallways. Milo's smirk was instantly transformed into a panicked contortion of facial muscles as he desperately covered his head with his hands as if the walls were collapsing. As soon as the shaking stopped, he straightened up, hands still on head, "I do wish Desmond would get his beast under control!"

With those words, he bolted from sight.

In the vents above, Batgirl and Robin exchanged looks, neither wore a confident expression. Batgirl turned to Batman, "They're moving the Dark Heart… What now?"

"We have to find that service elevator," As he spoke, his fingers darted over his gauntlet. He shifted slightly in place and removed the cryptographic sequencer from his hip, "We need to find a computer terminal. This facility has no wireless signal I can tap into. I'll have to be within proximity of a machine to get access,"

He placed a small disc on the floor of the vent and it let out a small supersonic pulse. After a few seconds, the pulse returned and Batman pointed forward, "Head forward,"

Robin nodded and rolled back onto his knees to crawl forward. He couldn't wait to stand up and from the look on Batman's face, they'd be in the open soon enough. As he moved forward, he heard a chirp from his headset: his suit's A.I. had locked onto a channel and decrypted it. Without a second thought, Robin swiped at his earpiece and allowed it to come through, but sound-gated in case of feedback.

A moment later, he was glad that he did. The very first thing to come over the radio was the scream of a man followed quickly by a spatter of gunfire. Even though the sound-gate had been activated to prevent spikes of high volume, Robin instinctively winced.

Batgirl immediately placed a hand on his calf from behind, "You okay?"

But Robin didn't answer; he slowed his progress and focused more on making out what the guards of the facility were saying:

"_KR-1 has breached sublevel 2! KR-1 has breached sublevel 2! G-K light seems to have diminishing effects on the subject! Desmond, you dweeb!_"

Robin twisted in place as he focused more on their words, "_Emergency generators for the containment system of the Tear have been activated! Spool up the Enigma-Gate! Send it back. Send it back!"_

"What the hell are they talking about?" Robin finally broke his silence. He looked at Batman.

"_Smitt! Call in Wings! And get the Tear back to-_"

Over the radio came a crackling sound that at first sounded like thunder then a few hundred paper bags being crumpled at the same time. Though the sound was static-y and unrefined, it was also unmistakable.

"_What are you doing?_" The voice was distant, as if someone standing next to one of the guards was speaking. Her thick east European accent was pleasant despite the situation, "_You fools! You reversed the polarity of the containment field!_" There was a sound of struggling over the radio and Robin looked in horror at his companions, unable to find the words to speak.

"Robin, what's wrong?" Batman hissed for a response.

Though most of her face was hidden, it was obvious Batgirl was just as curious and worried about whatever he was experiencing.

"Boom tube," he finally managed to speak, "Sublevel 2 subsection twelve contains a boom tube,"

Batgirl looked in fear at Batman and his jaw set tight. Just before he could speak, the green lights in the area extinguished and a quiet chill washed over the facility. Distant wailing and gunfire could be heard, but what could equally be heard was the whooshing of some_thing_ moving much faster than it had any natural right to.


	7. Part 1: Chapter 7

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)**and then Act 2 **( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

"Well, gee, Lois, I didn't think it would have bothered you so much,"

"And why is that, Clark?"

"I didn't know you cared is all," Clark pushed the rim of his glasses up, setting them back on the very bridge of his nose, "I know we were close colleagues but you didn't seem all that worried about me leaving,"

"Because I thought you'd call some time. Text or at least email me once in awhile," She picked up another cardboard box and shoved it into his hands for him to carry inside, "We were friends for years at the Planet. Then you get one gig to be PR for the reigning jerks and you become a jerk yourself,"

The unwitting irony of Lois' grievance against Clark did not miss the disguised Man of Steel. During the Justice Lords, all members had to increase their activity as their superhero personas. While the others were already out and out heroes 24/7, Batman and Superman still had to retain their respective secret identities. While Bruce, the playboy head of Wayne Enterprises, easily could make do with multiple odd hours under the guise of business and pleasure trips, Clark Kent was harder to write out of the picture.

So Superman had the Justice Lords hire Clark Kent to explain to the Daily Planet where he would be. It worked and no one questioned what happened to Clark Kent. As Clark, he would write the occasional fluff piece on the Justice Lords or every so often exchange short messages with Lois and Perry, but other than that Clark Kent was effectively dead. All of his time went into being Superman. Lord Superman. Looking back, he regretted that two year period of his life more and more.

"Lois, I'm sorry," He stuttered as he pretended to struggle balancing the boxes in his hands, "They had me working pretty hard,"

"Oh really?" Lois frowned, "Doing puff pieces about them every few months?" She thrust an accusatory finger to her building entrance, "March, Smallville,"

Clark's cheeks burned red and he did as he was told. Behind him on the truck, Lois watched the clumsy man stumble into her new apartment building. It would be a few minutes before he would be back and she wasn't looking forward to it.

While he worked at the Daily Planet, Clark's earnestness and good-natured optimism filled the office with a bright, if not naive, light. He almost always was a bastion of good-will and a solace she could turn to in trying times. But once the Justice Lords took control, he became more distant. First, he became more confident and developed a bit of an edge. Then, a week later, Clark became sluggish and more tired. His patience grew thin and he seemed to be a bit agitated. By the end of the first month, he was gone; taken up by the Justice Lords as a public relations manager.

While she'd never held for Clark the same emotions she'd held for Superman, she could not help but feel just as betrayed by his actions. Clark was her friend but when he left, he barely kept in contact, and for someone who supposedly was kept busy writing for and maintaining the public image of the Justice Lords, what he had to show for his work was sparse. And it wasn't like there was nothing to write about: the Justice Lords' image needed all the PR it could get.

Lois stepped back into the moving truck and pushed another box to the edge. She'd really hoped she would have been fully moved in by this point. But night had fallen, catching her off-guard. Couple that with Clark getting lost twice on his way to the complex and she'd just about had enough of the day. If her bed wasn't still waiting to be unloaded, she'd have locked up the moving truck and gone to bed hours ago. But she was still at it.

"Lois?" Clark's soft tone echoed in the metal, "I'm ready for the next load,"

"Here," she finished pushing the hefty box forward to the edge and Clark removed it from the edge, "Gee, Lois, I'm sorry for how things turned out, you know? I never meant to ignore my friends at the Planet, I love you all! I was just," he shifted a bit and adjusted the box in his hands to get a better grip, "-just busy, is all,"

"Busy doing what, Clark?" Lois exploded, throwing her hands in the air, "Busy doing what?" Even in the dark and without supervision, Clark could see the wide-eyed bewilderment on her face, "You weren't writing all that much for their PR, I can tell you that. You could make a fierce lion appear to be harmless as a house cat in your columns. I've seen you write moving editorials about some of Metropolis' worst offenders shifting readers' anger to compassion. No such transformation with the Justice Lords ever occurred.

"You wrote, what, maybe four articles within the first six months? And none of them were moving or impactful," Lois shook her head, "I mean, for godsakes, Clark, you've been up for Pulitzers! And then the Lords take over and you expect me to believe you were unable crank out even one piece of exceptional work? Much less keep even a regular correspondence with me? Do you take me for an idiot, Clark?"

"Well, I-"

Lois didn't let him speak, "Don't tell me that you were busy writing; that those four articles in the first six months took a lot of research and long nights. I read that drivel and graded it as a second draft at best. You are better than that, so do you mind telling me what you were actually hired by those self-made kings to do?" She put her hands squarely on her hips and waited for an answer.

He gulped, "Well, I didn't think you'd miss me so much, Lo," Clark started slowly, eyes dropping, "After all, you and Superman-,"

"Superman? Are you crazy?" She laughed despite herself, "We had a short fling after the Darkseid invasion, sure, but nothing serious. I saw him lead that invasion, I saw what he was capable of doing. What I always knew he could do and appreciated that he didn't do. And through all that, I stuck by his side and helped him reclaim his hope," She dropped her hands, "But the Justice Lords? That was all him. There was no excuse. No brainwashing, no blackmail, no tricks,"

Clark fought the urge to respond. After all, Clark Kent wouldn't actually be so passionate as to defend the Man of Steel, right? Last thing he'd want to do would be to come off as too defensive. So he kept his mouth shut.

"No, instead he overreacted and made a rash decision without the input of his team," Lois sighed, "Heh, if I knew any better, I'd say Darkseid didn't have to twist much to make Superman into his pawn for tyranny… I'm sorry, that's… that's wrong. He's idealistic but he doesn't handle stress or pressure well. If the good guys don't win in the end, he rises in barbarity to meet the challenge, sometimes for worse,"

"You're acting like he's solely responsible for the Justice Lords rising to power," Clark cut in, "There were five other members and they'd lost a teammate. Surely this doesn't excuse the action but he didn't act alone or for no reason,"

"Please, don't be so naive, Clark," Lois smiled at him, "He may have been on the team, but there was no doubt that he was the strongest of the bunch. He made the decision, who would challenge him? How many men did Batman kill? What about Wonder Woman? Green Lantern? Hawkgirl? That Martian? Their death tolls at that point were all zero,"

"Green Lantern was a Marine and Wonder Woman is a warrior princess," Clark pointed out.

"The minute John Stewart donned the Green, he didn't take a single life. And as far as I'm aware Wonder Woman may be trained by Amazons to be a warrior, but how many wars has she been in? I don't know of any, do you?"

Clark held his tongue. Superman knew she'd been in a few wars in late antiquity but Clark Kent sure as Tartarus didn't know. He remained silent, Lois' point taken.

"That's what I thought," Lois returned her attention to the rest of her things, "Who would take on the Superman? Who _could _take on the Superman?"

Clark bit his tongue as slight memories of the desperate fight Batman and then Wonder Woman had against him surfaced. They'd won over him, that much was true, but at what cost? He was handicapped by J'onn's ineffective use of his powers and while Batman had a number of tricks up his sleeve, tricks only carry so far with a person who, at full strength, can shatter mountains.

And Wonder Woman? While she was definitely a heavy hitter, she had also come in at the end when he was tired and a bit worn from the encounter with Batman. They'd given him a run for his money, but had he been in full control and at 100%, he was confident it would have been a slaughter. He could see Lois' point: in that Oval Office, he'd just broken his one rule. Who _could_ stand up to him in that moment?

The two were silent for awhile, letting the cool Metropolis air flow over their cheeks. In the distance, Clark caught the sound of sirens, a firetruck, and wondered if wherever they were heading was less dangerous than the conversation he was having with his former love interest. When it was clear that neither party had much else to say, Lois spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Clark," she said softly, "I'm taking this all out on you like you deserve it. Truth is, you only deserve a third of it,"

His keen vision caught sight of a slightly shy smile on Lois' face and it put him at ease.

"I'm angry at you but I'm also angry at Superman. You've both always been people I could rely on to do the right thing. Friends," she laughed sadly to herself, "Sometimes I have to remind myself you're not the same person,"

Lois slid from the truck's trailer and moved to Clark, "Take that last box upstairs for me, Smallville, then go home. It's late, I'm tired and I'm sure you have to work tomorrow," She leaned against the side of the truck's bumper and shook her head pensively again, "A lot to think about, to write about. I have a blow-up mattress already unpacked. I'll finish the move tomorrow. You just," she waved him off, "Go home and do whatever it is you Kansas boys do to fall asleep,"

Clark looked at her for a moment, his supervision waning as the effects of the cartridge he'd used the day before began to wear off. The box in his hands actually became a bit heavier and he began to feel sluggish, "Sure thing, Lois," He turned and marched up the steps to the complex's entrance. Behind him, he heard the metallic ratcheting of the moving truck's rear door being pulled closed and his heart slightly sank.

* * *

Hera stared at Diana, mouth agape, for what felt like a long time. No sound came from either party and for a moment, Diana felt she'd broken the goddess. Finally, a sound: it started as a few huffs of breath from Hera and then turned into a chuckling laugh and then an all-out guffaw. The corners of Hera's face creased as her smile widened and her eyes closed. Diana had never seen any of the gods laugh so heartily. It worried her.

"Hera, my goddess, is something wrong?" Diana took a step forward to brace Hera from toppling over, "Are you alright?"

Hera put up a hand and daintily waved Diana back, "I'm fine, I'm fine," she said between laughs, "I should be asking you that question, though. Sustain a mortal?" At the utterance of the request, Hera was seized by another fit of laughter.

Diana felt her face burn with embarrassment. Perhaps she'd been too foolish to ask for Charon to not claim Bruce? Perhaps too presumptuous to demand Bruce removed from Kronos' control? Too selfish to imagine having to live in a world without him?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Hera apologized repeatedly as she finally began calming down. She took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, "You're jest just caught me off-guard," Her face began to fall a bit as her face relaxed, though her smile stayed, "Reminds me of a few early meetings with your mother," she sighed again and looked at Diana for the first time since her outburst. When she saw the young woman's face, she paused and her face straightened up, "Oh, you're serious,"

She slowly rose back to her full height and her toga magically straightened itself out, "You really want to petition a mortal for immortality?"

Diana nodded.

"Diana, you realize that has not been done in eons," Hera tilted her head as if talking to a puppy, "Not since that Herakles fellow, and that was out of rare love by Zeus. And you know how messy that Dioscuri business was... How _do_ you split the infinite conceptual power that is immortality? That's not easy, Diana,"

"I know, Hera. But please hear my reason," Diana pleaded, "Bruce Wayne is a remarkable man. He is kind and compassionate; powerful and firm. Yet also gentle, intelligent, wise and stern. As Batman, he has upended entire crime syndicates, taken down corrupt business moguls, and stopped powerful metahumans.

"As Bruce Wayne, he has championed social programs that thousands throughout his city benefit from every day. He's sponsored higher education for hundreds of kids a year to go through universities and has set up dozens of internship programs the world over to fight the root causes of most petty crimes in major cities. He's fighting evil from every angle he can: as Batman, he stops crime as they happen and as Bruce Wayne he attempts to cut off the factors to lead to a life of crime."

"And he's also easy on the eyes, isn't he?" Hera gave a sidelong glance at Diana, "Don't act so surprised. I said I wasn't checking in with you as often, that doesn't mean I'd stopped. Don't think I'm not aware of your relationship with him,"

"I admit that I do not want to live in a world without him," Diana acknowledged her bias without hesitation, "I fully admit I love the man and the mask. But don't let that color your judgement regarding him. If you have been watching, you know what I've said is true,"

"Good men come and go, Diana. That's life," Hera casually set down her hand-held shears and the olive plant she'd been tending faded from reality, "Why do you feel so strongly about this one? Have your fun with the mortal and when the time comes to say goodbye, say goodbye," A bow materialized in her hands and a few hundred yards away, a target came into focus. Hera drew the bowstring and lined up her shot.

"Say goodbye?" Diana asked, "That's it? Let a man that great pass away? He has so much more to offer the world if he had more time. My time. For him to just die, that's not right, Hera, that's-"

"That's the universe, Diana. 'Right' has nothing to do with it. The universe is amoral to the cares and whims of mortals, men, women or otherwise. Mortals are born and then they die," She released the arrow and it sang across the white void, thudding into the target just below the bullseye, "That's just life,"

"And what of the mortals the gods choose to ascend and become immortal? Why wasn't that reasoning used against their ascension?" She stepped up next to Hera as the goddess aimed again at the target.

"We were more lax and foolish back then, Diana. Mortals were simpler. They revered us, worshipped us, imbued us with divinity. How could we not feel a bit of favoritism for them? Sure, a select few were given the gift of eternal life, but soon mortals became more complicated and messy," She fired again and hit the top of the bullseye, "We would give some powers for fun, just to see what would happen. And then some others already had powers that we did not bestow,"

She fired another arrow and hit just off the right of the bullseye, "It was Vishnu who brought it up to the council of gods. Why should we bestow power and favor to some humans when other champions already existed with powers not from us? Whether it be from fallen space rocks or uncovered energy springs, metahumans soon became a factor in the once-balanced equation that was our world, our dominion: Earth."

"You all weren't confined to Earth," Diana pointed out, "And it isn't like you didn't know beings with extraordinary powers from other planets existed. You've met deities from other worlds. I know you are aware of the old god of the Thanagarians and my mother told me in one of her letters that You had a short fling with the god Superman's people revered,"

"You speak of Rao?" Hera chuckled to herself and fired a fourth arrow, landing it right on the left side of the target, "A self-righteous and pompous prick with a good-"

"Hera!"

"Oh, don't be such a prude, Diana. You've been in Man's world long enough to hear it," Hera nastily spat back, "Regardless, yes, we knew of other gods. We interacted with them, but we'd never dreamed that our peoples would interact. In fact, some of us were afraid of the worlds colliding. I recall one of our number, Yahweh, I think, directly prevented the construction of a rudimentary space port his people were working on,"

Diana arched a brow at her goddess.

"Oh, don't look so surprised," Hera laughed at the memory, "The story for the mortals twisted over time, but his people took after the Sumerians in trying to reach the stars. But instead of watching with curiosity as Enki and his folk did, Yahweh, or maybe it was El… Either way, he didn't want them leaving the planet, you see, so he completely smited their progress and scattered them," she laughed again.

Diana's face contorted into a look of disgust, "Why?"

"This was just after the Flood, Diana, so you must understand we were a young population of gods. More brazen and brash, prone to actions made out of immature feelings and impulses. And fear. You know the secret of the Flood, we felt sickly responsible for letting humanity venture so far. We had a sense of protection over Earth, just like all gods over their planets… We tried so hard to keep you all in the dark,"

"What?" Diana demanded harshly as if seeing Hera in a new light, "Who gave you the right? The authority?"

"Why, the people did. Mortals gave us our authority and gladly submitted to it. It was our own twisted way of protecting you all as well as protecting ourselves…"

"What does any of this have to do with denying my request to grant Bruce Wayne immortality?"

"Child," Hera handed Diana the bow and arrow and pointed at the target, "We gave the world right and wrong. Or at least, we liked to think we did. Jury's still out on that. But we gods are just as flawed," she shrugged, "But at least we could see more of the universe as it was. As it is. Diana, we wanted to protect our worlds from the cold truth,"

Diana lined up her shot, hand shaking with anger, "What truth?"

"What did I say earlier?" Hera stood behind Diana and subtly adjusted the Amazonian's form, "The universe is amoral. It doesn't care if a world survives or thrives or dies. It just keeps expanding, growing, building and one day it will come to a loudly quiet end and that will be it for this side of things. And then things will start over. Or won't. Won't know until we get there,"

Diana looked back over her shoulder at Hera, "Hera-"

"Hush, child. You asked and I'm answering,"

"You're taking a long time,"

"I'm immortal and you're immortal. What is time to us? And that's why we do not grant it. That is why I do not grant it. We stopped ascending mortals when they started replacing us with science and understanding.

"When they no longer relied on us for power and knowledge, we withdrew. When aliens from other planets arrived, we withdrew with their discarded gods. Immortality is a burden, Diana. You get to see where it's all going. Where the universe will end up, you'll get to see it all. The universe will be laid bare before you and you will see just how much it does not care about anything you've done. You'll grow amoral,"

Diana released the tension on the bow and faced Hera, "I cannot accept that," she declared, "We Amazons are immortal and we have a strong sense of morality,"

"Because we set limits in you, Diana. Look at your society, alive for ages and yet still using horses and swords. Your people weren't driven by anything but battle, the one thing that could end your lives," Hera laughed, "You're all no different than the Greeks of 300 B.C. all these eons later, stunted in growth and confined to your little island. You remained moral because you stopped exploring and settled with limiting yourselves; stuck in antiquity. You are moral because you never left the island. The Amazons look to us to define what morals are and yet they've never thought to ask what defines _our_ morals. But men did.

"To borrow a story from El, Man took the fruit from the tree while your people remained in the garden. They realized that morals could be arrived by just thinking about what is best for the collective survival of the group. That's all we did, Diana. There's nothing different between gods and mortals aside from power and time. Mortals want to know how it all works and how it all ends. They want to know what it all means. But we already know the answer: there is no meaning. The universe works because it just works. Nothing more and nothing less.

"But now you want to take a good man with a strong moral compass that you admire, and you want to strip him of the limiting factor that keeps him moral? How long do you think he will stay the man you love if you do that? A decade? Two maybe? He will change,"

"He won't," Diana nocked the arrow and stood defiantly before the goddess.

"He will. It's happened before," Hera replied flippantly.

Diana glared, "Ras as Ghul is a substandard example, Hera. You know as well as I that the pits twisted his mind with each dip,"

"Not him, child; Vandal Savage. He's still out there. Still living. Perpetually in his late-forties and perpetually growing more and more separate from humanity as the days pass. He has been alive for thousands of years," Hera smiled, "He knows the universe isn't beholden to anyone. It just is. But he can't accept that, so he forces it to make sense to him,"

Diana's arm wavered, unsure how to respond. Her entire life on Themyscira she was taught that the gods knew best. They were powerful heroes and villains of old and when the Amazons did not know what to do, they took solace knowing the gods were in control. But now? Now she knew the truth: the gods were as lost and as scared as they were, "No, I do not accept that," she stammered out, "I'm immortal and I am still good,"

She quickly drew the arrow again with confidence and released it. The arrow sailed across the expanse, "I am good. I am moral and I am not limited to the island. I make mistakes but I learn from them. I wish to help people. If I can do that, he can, too," The arrow pierced the dead center of the bullseye and Diana turned to Hera with fire in her eyes, "Grant it,"

Hera looked unphazed and looked over Diana's shoulder at the arrow in the distant target, "I've hit the bullseye so many times it's gotten boring. I can hit it every time. Now, I miss on purpose just to shake it up. I let my arm slip and mess up on purpose. It's not what you're supposed to do to a target, but doing it right got boring after the first few millennia," she glanced at Diana with a slight smile, "Bestowing immortality is not mine to grant," she said after a beat, "I would have to bring it up with my husband and brother-in-law. Charon, too. I will raise it but I promise nothing, Diana," she raised a stern finger.

Diana did her best to quell the rising resentment against her patron. She swallowed some choice words and settled on ending the conversation, "I understand, Hera. Thank you,"

"You know, a few years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of speaking to you with such candor," Hera said, placing both her hands on Diana's shoulders, squaring them, "But you've grown to become so much more than an Amazon. You're much more like… us. One of the gods. What have you become?"

Diana bit her tongue from spewing another smart remark and stilled her soul, "I am Wonder Woman," And with that, Diana pulled herself back into her body, ending the conversation with the goddess.

* * *

A frantic voice echoes out below the grate, "KR-1 is in the halls! I repeat, KR-1 is in the halls!"

"_He's in the halls?_" Robin heard a guard respond over their supposed-secure radio line, "_Direct him back below! And where the hell is Wings? Maggie, you there?_"

A distinct feminine voice replied, "_I'm here, Phil, and I see what's going on. He's on his way,_" she paused, "_I've noticed peculiar energy fluctuations near Dr. Tala's experiment. Has it been returned in the face of danger?_"

_"We couldn't spool up the Enigma-gate,"_ the man, Phil, replied, "_It's opening,_"

Robin looked in horror at his teammates, "Where is that elevator? We have to go, now!" He placed a small explosive on the grate below as flashbacks of hiding from Karkull in the vent over a year ago replayed in his mind.

"What?"

"Robin, what are you doing!"

But Batgirl's question and Batman's objection came too late. The grate exploded down and Robin dropped from the ceiling. The guard below looked up in surprise. He didn't even get a word out before Robin was upon him, knocking him unconscious. As the man slumped in Robin's hands, Batman approached from behind.

"What are you doing?" The demand was clear: they weren't going anywhere until Robin explained his actions.

The younger hero looked around, ensuring no guards were close by. When he was confident that the area was secure, he shared the frequency and decryption key, "When we were entering the vent shaft, I really wanted to know what they were saying. So," he heaved a sigh, "I took it upon myself to hack their communications. I set my radio's second channel to scan for any frequency that distributed noise every five seconds and then applied a few decryption programs I'd written back in high school, you know, from the-"

"I'm well aware," Batman interrupted.

"I got a glimpse of one of their radios when we were over one of the guards and that doctor came in. Not enough to see the full channel but enough to narrow down the range that they were using," He tilted his head uncomfortably, "I found their channel soon after,"

Batgirl bit her lip, "They have a boomtube? How do they have a boomtube?"

"I don't know," Batman replied, "Every possible mother and father box was either destroyed or confiscated for research purposes by the League,"

A whoosh to their left followed by a few shouts and thuds shook the trio, "Either way, we need to get moving and find that elevator," He glared at Robin, "And we'll discuss mission protocol and communication on the flight back,"

Robin gulped and ran after his mentor and his girlfriend. As they ran, they heard the frantic screaming from the guards over the comms as whatever KR-1 was completely massacred the guards just a few halls over. Another crack was heard and a hollow echo sounded over the radio. Facility guards and personnel that wouldn't have been close to their location began to cry out as horrid slurping and chittering joined their screams.

"_It's open! It's open!_"

"_Shut it down, Brent! Shut it down or send it back!_"

"_I can't! The controls aren't responding!_"

The panic was palpable as the Bat-Clan ran down the maze of hallways seeking out the service elevators. Batman checked the readout his sonic device had mapped out. They were reaching the end of what he knew, so he let out another sonic pulse, this one sourced from his cowl. The pulse filled the hall and permeated the rooms then returned, mapping out another few hundred feet… Including a wall-mounted mural down a left corridor, "Come on!" he swiftly changed direction and headed for what he hoped was a directory of some sort or a map of the level.

Robin and Batgirl chased after him a second before a guard screamed in slight relief, "_KR-1 is heading further down the hall to the service elevators. Something's got his attention!_"

"Shit… Batman…?"

"I heard," Batman impatiently replied to Batgirl. Whatever this subject KR-1 was, it had detected his sonic pulse. They would have to hurry, "Watch the back," he commanded Robin and Batgirl. He looked at the thing his pulse had detected and was thankful he'd guessed correctly. It was a map of the layout of the current floor.

The map showed there were five service elevators labelled 'SE-1' through 'SE-5'. As he wondered which one was best to head for, he tuned out the mayhem in the background of his radio. For a split second, he contemplated turning off the hacked channel, but he knew better than that. Any information coming over the radio would be good information.

"_DH f-1 being moved into SE-2_" a voice over the radio, much calmer and familiar, proved him right again, "_DH f-3 being moved into SE-1_"

"Who's that?"

"Dr. Hamilton," Batman answered Batgirl. Another smash and a closer scream. A portion of the hallway behind them caved in, "Let's go!" Batman grabbed his partners hands and rushed further down the hall with them in tow.

"Is this the way to the elevators?" Robin asked, putting on his bravest face.

"Negative," Batman continued pulling his partners along while questioning why he reached for their hands in the first place, "The elevators were in the opposite direction,"

The ceiling caved in behind them and warm air whistled into the ruptured hallway. A white flash and a sprinkle of red followed by heavy amounts of gunfire from the level above pouring down filled the space.

"Unless you want to head back that way?"

Robin gulped, turned his eyes forward, and ran faster. He pulled his hand from Batman's grasp and pumped his arms to gain more speed. His heart felt like it would explode out of his chest cavity, but still he pushed on.

"_Kill it! Desmond's given the order! KR-1 is to be terminated on sight if he cannot be captured!_" A second explosion, "_Where the blast is Wings? Isn't this the whole point of him?_"

Batgirl increased her stride and pulled up next to Robin. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Even in the dark halls illuminated by nothing more than the dull red fading emergency lights she could see the worry on his face. She wanted to reach out to him and hug him, but that would spell disaster for them.

"Prepare yourselves," Batman said, "I have a layout of the map but I have to use another pulse. It will probably attract whatever they are attempted to secure,"

"Why did they contain this thing in the first place?"

"To protect the world, maybe?"

"But it sounds like they made it!" Robin retorted.

The pulse went out and an inhuman screech could be heard in the distance followed by the sound of what could be a freight train tearing through metal.

"This way!" Batman dashed down a narrower corridor, "The service elevator SE-1 should be at the end of this hall,"

The three rushed down the narrow passage and heard thudding of heavy boots in the slight distance. A red flash illuminated their backs just as they erupted into a lobby-like area with a hefty blast door before them. Batman got down on a knee and opened his cryptographic sequencer, immediately going to work hacking the elevator with hopes its contents hadn't already been unloaded on a previous floor.

"Got it," Batman announced more to calm his own nerves. Whatever the government had back there was dangerous and it was heading right for them, but still there were screams as multiple other locations in the facility seemed to encounter breaches. His heart thudded against his chest, "Get ready, when the gate opens, we rush in and take down whoever's inside," he said, "At best, no one should see us. When we get in, I'll signal the Flying Fox to hover over us and we'll clip the sample to the winch and tow it into the Flying Fox,"

"You sure that's going to work as planned, Batman?" Batgirl asked shakily.

"No,"

Another smash and the three looked back from the path which they came. There was the distinct flash of gunfire: yellow-white and also green and red. Energy weapons of all sorts.

"_All units, all units, please be advised,_" The cool voice of Dr. Hamilton came over the radio, "_It seems that SE-1 containing the sample DH f-3 has been triggered to pass sublevel 5 and is set to stop on sublevel 2. All available units converge,_"

"Do they know we are here?"

"No, but we've disrupted their itinerary," Batman let his cape drape over his form, "We may have company,"

"_Sorry, Doc, but we gotta-_"

A new voice, booming and powerful, came from over the radio as if yelled by someone far away from the mouthpiece. The voice was louder than the crackling, louder than the wails, the screams, the gunfire.

"_The Hordes of Gehenna are everlasting! Their numbers derive from the sin of man! However, there is one who holds them back, preventing their passing! I am the Gentle Man!_"


	8. Part 1: Chapter 8

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Diana sharply inhaled her breath and her eyes fluttered open and were greeted with the soft candlelight flickering in the breeze from the outside world. She took another breath to fully center herself then slowly stood. The cool air from the vent leading to outside the cave had kept the room at a very nice temperature just below room-temperature and there was not a sound to be heard.

_How long has it been?_ Diana blew out a few of the candles and closed her eyes as the residual smoke from the extinguished flames swirled in the air. She spent a few meditative minutes simply standing in that moment and reflecting on the experience she'd shared with her patron goddess.

Could she still be called her patron? The way she'd spoken to Diana was definitely more like one would speak with an equal than a subject. Gone was the regal and lofty language that was normally associated with the gods and in its place was an honest and crass talk. Diana opened her eyes again and took a step for the exit.

She'd been adamant with Bruce to not place any sort of time-keeping device inside of the chamber and she banned the use of wrist watches within the chamber as well, after all, that defeated the purpose of meditation. But now she saw how impractical it was to have absolutely no way of knowing the time from within. She triggered the door to open and stepped into the full chilled night air of the BatCave's sublevel.

A quick check of the clock overhead the outside of the entrance revealed she'd only been inside for about an hour. It had felt like longer and she had been sure it was going to take a longer time. After all, she was petitioning for a mortal's immortality. But Hera caught her off-guard with her whole spiel and conversation. This marked the second time such a terrible truth of the gods had been revealed to her. Truly this was the age of revelation.

She pulled the hidden switch and the rock-face door mechanically covered the entrance then slid into place. Once again, it was hidden from view, disguised as nothing more than a part of the rocky cave wall.

Satisfied, she turned and ascended the stairs back to the BatCave proper and immediately her heart sank. In the garage, Batgirl's prized motorcycle was on its side and trailing behind it were hefty skid marks all over the usually clear roadway that led out of the 'Cave.

Diana took to the air and flew over to the crashed vehicle. She didn't know too much about mechanics but she knew enough to see that the bike was not in any condition to be driven. The front frame was bent at an odd angle, one of the wheels had a significant tear in the side and the usually tough handlebars had been bent as if twisted in the wrong direction by whoever'd held it. The faint smell of fuel also clued Diana in that there was at least one rupture to the gas container, but whether it was the container itself or just a fuel line, she could not be certain.

"Kimber's going to be angry," She looked around the cave for any indication as to who'd attempted to ride the bike. The BatCave's security hadn't been triggered so either the intruder was a familiar face or was very _very_ good.

Instantly, the thought of an intruder froze Diana's blood and she felt her muscles tense up in anticipation of a fight or a surprise attack, "Hello?" She called out into the oppressive dark and instantly felt silly for doing so. What? Would the intruder respond back with their own hello? "Tim?" Her mind wandered to the first person she could think of that would sneak into the BatCave for no reason. But after waiting for a few moments with no response, she tightened her fists more and took to the air.

Like a bolt of vengeance, Diana swooped over every inch of the BatCave, every nook and cranny she knew of, but came away with nothing. In wary defeat, she landed back near the Batcycle and examined it again, hoping to find a clue as to the intruder's identity.

As she looked over the wreckage, something did catch her eye: a circular trans-clear thing that seemed to sparkle like a rainbow, shaped like a flattened corn kernel… and about as small. Curiously, Diana stooped low and examined the small thing.

"What in Hera's name… ?" She poked at it a few times with her finger. It was hard to the touch and she sighed, "Is this…?" She looked at the crash again and noticed the slight structural damage to the cave exit. The rider had attempted to steal the bike, but crashed into the wall, hard. Kimber always was tinkering with the acceleration of her vehicle, no doubt it caught the rider off-guard. So who was the rider? Diana looked back at the little shiny thing and had an idea.

She took off to the harbor and saw something she'd missed in her previous fly-over: a small puddle of water on the harbor's small dock. Leading from the puddle were footprints that quickly disappeared once they reached the gravel of the cave floor but she'd seen enough to know that the person, girl specifically, was small and, since there was no sign of an attempt to remove any equipment, this was someone from beneath the waves.

"Mera would have said something or waited for me. She would have at least left a message, but Mereena?" Diana smiled, "She's something else,"

Put a bit at ease by her own successful detective work, Diana approached the Batcomputer, "Alfred,"

"Yes, Ms. Diana?" The BatCave's A.I. chirped back.

"Open a direct line to Batman, please,"

"Right away, Ms. Diana,"

Immediately, the Batcomputer began to hum as it warmed up and attempted to establish connection with the BatWave integrated with Batman's belt. As she waited for the voice of her loved one to float over the airwaves, Diana wondered about the girl who'd intruded while she'd been meditating. Where was Mereena now?

* * *

Arsenal pulled the man in his grasp up to his face, "Just what were you thinking of doing to that young woman, slimeball?" He did his best to effect the voice he'd heard Batman as well as Robin use when interrogating criminals. Usually, he'd carry a lighter tone in voice, after all, being a hero was about helping people, not scaring them half to death… at least not most people. But this particular criminal carried a stench on him that brought out the nasty in Arsenal. He slammed the man's back against the brickwork of the building, "Well? I'm waiting,"

The man looked over Arsenal's shoulder and shook his head, "I ain't squealin'"

"Look at me, pal," Arsenal sneered, "If you don't talk to me, then you'll be talking to her," he nodded to Aquagirl standing behind him. She wore a look of disgust, "And trust me, you _don't_ want to talk to her. You've heard of 'good cop; bad cop'? Well, we're playing this 'bad cop; worse cop', got it?"

Frightened, the assaulter looked from Aquagirl's fierce expression to the frightened face of his former victim. She was taking cover behind Aquagirl's back. Though the Aquagirl was almost half his size, he recognized what she wore. He'd been watching enough news to know she was royalty, but he couldn't remember what country… she sure was easy on the eyes, though.

"What did you think was going to happen tonight, pal?" Arsenal asked, "Did you really think you'd have your jollies and move on? Was that the plan?" He bared his teeth, demanding the attention of his captive once again.

"No, no!" The man winced and shook his head vigorously, "It's nothin' like that at all!"

"Then explain it to me. I'm the patient one," Arsenal slightly relaxed his hold, "What were you doing?"

The man shook under the scorn of Arsenal's eye, "Nuthin'!" he finally managed out a squeal of denial, "Jus' me an' the boys seeking some fun is all!"

"'You and the boys', huh?" Arsenal looked around then faced his captive, "Funny, you seem to be the only one left,"

The man's eyes anxiously darted to and fro seeking out his homies who'd been there not moments ago, "Th-they must have gone inside before I could take her-er- I mean, before my smoke finished,"

Arsenal curled his fists inward, pulling the neck of the man's shirt tighter, "That so, scuzzbucket?" He brought his knee into the man's groin quickly eliciting a yelp of pain, "You often take a smoke break with your pants around your ankles?"

"I had to pee, man!"

"You realize public indecency is still a crime, right?"

The man whimpered in terror.

"They're in there?" Arsenal nodded past the man to a small shack against the closed department store to which the man dumbly nodded. Arsenal, eyes still on the man, spoke to Aquagirl, "Flush them out,"

"With pleasure," Aquagirl emphatically replied. She raised both hands with her fingers spread. Water erupted from the manholes at the center of the main road a few feet away. Sewer water. The liquid stench of the city's filth flowed over Aquagirl's head like a controlled snake. She closed one fist and punched forward. The column of sewer water bashed through the entrance of the small shack and instantly screaming and gurgling could be heard from within.

"Get out, get out!"

Not willing to let them leave of their own volition, Mereena closed her other fist and pulled back with both hands as if attempting to yank on a rope. Her eyes were glowing pale green as she looked through the eyes of her element, seeking out each suspect within the building. As she encountered each one, a tendril of water would wrap around them, pulling them into the torrential filth.

A moment later, the dirty water erupted from the shack's front door and flowed into the laneway. Four more men and two women were deposited on the ground, wet and drenched in filth. Each wore a look of surprise mixed with disgust.

One managed to get to her knees and she angrily spat out fluid that wasn't wholly clear, "What the hell was that?"

Her demand was met with silence from Aquagirl. No words, just anger. The young girl taking cover behind Mereena flinched at the angry blonde's question and muttered something under her breath that only Mereena could hear. Whatever she said only fueled the rage behind Mereena's eyes more. A fist of fetid fluid formed ready to strike, but Arsenal called it off.

"Hold it," His eyes narrowed behind his mask, "At least for now," He raised the man off his feet and snarled in his face, "Funny thing is, I bet that disgusting water washed them off, huh?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" the man stuttered.

"Jeez, Carl, you got caught with your pants down?" One of the drowned miscreants called to the pantsless man pinned by Arsenal, "I told him to damn wait,"

"So. _Carl_," Arsenal grinned, "We have a name to put to the face. I was thinking more of 'Willy',"

"I was leaning more to 'Poco'," Aquagirl chided from behind. After a moment, she added, "That means 'little' in Spanish,"

Arsenal slightly deflated, "I know, Aquagirl," He faced his prey again, "I know," He took a sidelong glance at those that had been flushed out of the house by literal doodoo water and internally gasped. He recognized one of the faces from Green Arrow's criminal database, "Barry 'the Vagrant' Chives?" He looked back at the man against the wall, "You're running with Barry 'the Vagrant' Chives?"

At the sound of his name, a man with thinning hair and a slightly protruding belly opened his mouth to speak. All that came out at first was bile and whatever he'd had for lunch, but once his spew was over, words came, "I ain't sayin' nothin 'til I get my lawyer,"

Arsenal threw Carl to the ground violently and pressed a button on his belt, "Pull on your pants. The cops will be here soon and you've got to look decent… as best you can,"

As Carl scuttled over with his pants still around his ankles, Mereena approached Arsenal with the girl still under her shoulder staring daggers at the group of flushed out fiends, "You know this Barry?"

Arsenal nodded firmly and crossed his arms, "Barry Chives is an all-around sleaze. Won't be the first time he'll be locked up, but somehow he always gets out. Usually runs guns for local mobsters but recently G.A. realized the Vagrant isn't just a gunrunner," He looked at Mereena for the first time since they'd apprehended Carl, "He's very heavy into trafficking. Human trafficking,"

"Slaves," she said the word with every bit of malice it deserved. She snapped her fingers and the giant looming fist of fecal matter dropped onto the human traffickers, dowsing them in more dirty water.

When she was happy with the work she'd done, Mereena turned to the girl they'd saved, "Are you alright?"

"Better, yeah," the girl nodded, "Thank you,"

"What are you doing out so late?" Arsenal asked, "Do your folks know you're out and about?"

She shook her head, "I, uh, I went to a party to meet some friends," she said low, "I kinda snuck out… my folks probably still think I'm in my room asleep,"

Distant sirens alerted all in the laneway that the authorities would be closing in soon and the heroes decided to make themselves scarce. Aquagirl flashed one more evil eye at the exposed group and then looked to Arsenal, "Let's go,"

The Crimson Bowman nodded and fired a line arrow into the air. It stuck to the roof of the department store and, with one arm around Mereena and the young girl holding onto his neck, Arsenal reeled them up to the rooftop, _Well, I didn't get to go to Nevada for whatever plan the Bat has,_ he thought to himself, _But I still got some action. Taking down a human trafficking cell is always a good night in my book. Even if we stumbled upon it by accident._

At the top of the store, he peered low. Each and every member of the cell was still below trying their hardest to rid themselves of the stench. It didn't take long for the officers to pull up to the laneway and begin arresting the suspects as well as investigating what remained of the shed. As the officers handcuffed the small group, a few looked up and caught a glimpse of Aquagirl and Arsenal standing confidently upon the roof looking down. One of the officers gave a simple nod of thanks.

A call from another officer revealed a hidden passageway and though he couldn't hear what the officer's heard or see what they saw, Arsenal had been around long enough to know just what they were probably seeing. They'd done good but there were some scenes he wished he could unsee. He turned to the young girl, probably no older than fifteen, "Let's get you home, huh? I'm sure your parents are worried sick,"

"But the party!" the highschooler protested, "If I don't go, I'll never hear the end of it!" Despite the near life changing experience, the social pressure still pushed her to danger.

"What is your name?" Mereena asked, "Mine is Mereena,"

"A-Abby," the girl replied.

"Tell you what," Mereena removed a scale-shaped canister from her hip, "This is magical water, Abby, very special. It's straight from Atlantis!"

Abby's eyes lit up despite her tears as she took the round container in her hands, "Wow! Water from Atlantis! This is so cool!" Then she paused, "But what for?"

"It's a gift, Abby!" Mereena replied, "We are going to take you home, there's no doubt about that. But! But if you get any trouble at school tomorrow, just pour all that water on the ground outside until there's a puddle and I'll be right there to… sort them out, okay?"

Abby nodded a bit enthusiastically, "Okay,"

"Alright, now lead us home, Abby!"

* * *

It took about fifteen minutes for the two heroes and their leading companion to arrive at Abby's neighborhood and in that time Mereena and the girl only grew closer. They discussed the differences of growing up in different parts of the world. How was growing up as a normal surface dweller in Star City different than growing up as royalty in the submarine kingdom? Apparently very different and yet not so different at all.

They were a nearly three years apart and separated by land and sea, but they couldn't have been more similar. On the way, Mereena recounted a few times she'd snuck out of her room in the castle to attend lavish parties thrown by her own schoolmates. And while she never got caught, partly because she'd memorized the exact paths of her guards, the feeling of guilt always outweighed the fun she'd have. Sneaking out for parties was not something this royal would recommend.

Ahead of the talkative duo, Arsenal strode forward, every so often making use of his line arrows to cross gaps that Mereena was able to clear with a simple leap with Abby in tow. Along the way, they mercifully encountered no more crimes and once they were standing across the street from her building, Abby hugged each hero in thanks.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. I didn't think anything bad would happen if I went to the party… I didn't think it was too far and my friends said everyone would be there… I didn't consider that something could happen on the way,"

Arsenal leaned over to meet her at eye level, "No city can boast complete and total safety at all hours. Not even Star City," he smiled and messed her hair with his gloved hand.

"At least it's not Gotham," Mereena snorted in the background.

Abby giggled and held onto the capsule Aquagirl had given her tighter.

Arsenal scrunched up his face at Mereena and she simply blew a raspberry at him disregarding his supposed seriousness. With a sigh of defeat, Arsenal turned back to the young girl, "Can you get in safely?"

She nodded.

"Good. Then go on, get home!" He waved her off playfully and watched her run across the street, careful to use the crosswalk, and slipped into her small apartment building. Before she closed the door, she cast one last look back at the two heroes and waved shyly.

Arsenal and Aquagirl waved back, the bowman offering an additional two thumbs up. The door across the street closed and Abby was gone. Arsenal gave a satisfied sigh.

"What?"

"That's what it's all about," There was a hint of melancholy on his voice. Abby was only five years younger than him and though he was not comfortable relaying his own personal experiences with those he saved, he knew for a fact he'd been just as reckless with the freedoms his parents had given him back in Gotham. Especially in early high school before he took life seriously. Sure a portion of that life was spent under the Justice Lords, but even during that time there was risk being out so late.

Any child out past curfew in Gotham ran the risk of being detained, arrested and sent to juvie. All in the name of cutting down on the roving gangs of Gotham. Sure it wasn't nearly as bad as the trafficking that 'the Vagrant' was party to, but it still was a harsh consequence of what was more of a light infraction of authority.

"You okay, hotshot?" Mereena's inquiry shook him from his thoughts.

"Eh? Yeah! I'm fine," he brushed her off his shoulder, "We should get going,"

"After you," she bent low in a bow with one arm extended, "The rooftops won't stalk themselves,"

"I was more thinking about the paper waiting for me back home,"

"Well, fine. If you want to be lame,"

The two heroes took to the rooftops and made their way back to Arsenal's side of town.

"Hey, Mereena, that was a nice thing you did back there, giving her the capsule,"

"Yeah? Well, I hope I can get a new one when I get back,"

"That magical water really is unique, huh? Can it really summon you?"

"Why?" Mereena hid her smile in her shoulder as she ran, "You want one?"

"Well, no, but I thought you were able to waterstep through any body of pure water,"

"I can," she replied simply, "I can see through water, too, but you know that already,"

"Yeah, so if the water isn't special, why do you want it back? Is the capsule some sort of magical item like the trident?"

Her mouth contorted into a half confused smile and her brow arched in bewilderment, "No," her initial response was more of a bewildered cough than actual speech, "It's my favorite water canteen and Elroy doesn't make that style anymore,"

Arsenal was speechless as the realization struck home, "...It's just an Atlantean water bottle..."

"Ya-huh,"

"I can't believe it,"

* * *

The large blast door groaned open and settled with a disturbing echo. With the eerie dull red lights still flashing in the subterranean base, Batgirl had a hard time keeping her composure. This night mission was turning into every one of her nightmares rolled into one. Lack of control over the situation? Check. Unseen dangers? Check. Shadowy government entities? Check. Buried alive? Check. Boom tubes? Check. Chance of Elder Things? Check. She hoped she wasn't the only feeling so lost.

A quick glance at Robin clued her in that though he was doing his best to hide his discomfort, he was just as unnerved by the whole situation as she was. She dared not look at Batman because she did _not_ want to see his face. There were two faces he could have at this time: emotionless neutral, or slightly worried. And both faces would scare her.

If Batman was neutral to the situation, she'd feel a pang of inadequacy. After all, being the Bat's partner for over two years, you'd think whatever doesn't faze him wouldn't faze her. But if he _was _worried… _That_ would really be a problem. _Everything's going to work out just fine,_ she kept her thoughts to herself, _You're not gonna die down here. Everyone's getting out alive._

The door finished opening just as the bang of a door being slammed open sounded from just to their right. The surprising sound stole Batgirl's attention from the dark service elevator known as SE-1 and three men in bulletproof vests and armed with automatic pistols burst into the lobby area.

The first of the three raised his gun and fumbled with his light, "Freeze!" he did his best to put up a strong front but his voice cracked. There were guttural growls coming over the radio and it was quite obvious to each of the three heroes that the three guards were very shaken by the sounds of their comrades in distress, "Stay where you are and identify yourselves!"

Batman didn't wait for the light to rest on his form or on the forms of his companions. They must not be identified. He quickly put himself between Batgirl and Robin and the guards and then threw down a flash bang followed by a smoke grenade then raised his cape up and over his and his companions eyes.

The flash bang went off and the flash of light caught the guards off-guard. He heard their cries of surprise and pain as their irises were temporarily damaged. What had once been a darkened lobby had been lit up like the fourth of July for a split second only for the dark to quickly overtake and the human eye just was not accustomed to such extremes.

As soon as the dark gathered, the smoke from the pellet filled the room, darkening the surroundings more.

"Augh, my eyes!" One guard wailed, "Who is this guy?"

Batman looked at the service elevator with it's open and welcoming doors, "Go!" he hissed out a single command and Robin and Batgirl quickly rushed into the elevator car.

"Figure out how to get it moving,"

Robin nodded in the dark and took a look at the control panel, "You got it, boss,"

A gunshot sounded from the lobby and Batman's attention was returned to the three guards. With his lenses, he was able to make out their three forms with ease and he watched them carefully as they swung their arms aimlessly in an attempt to find one of the intruders. Or at least wave off the smoke.

Over the radio, he heard the woman from earlier, Maggie, speak, "_Where is KR-1? Where is KR-1? Desmond! Where is your pet?_"

"_This is Containment Force Delta, Maggs,_" a new voice responded over some carnage in the background, "_We're making our way to Desmond as we speak. The Tear's open and we've got some problems down here!_"

In the background, Batman made out the same voice of the self-named Gentle Man screaming arcane profanities and what sounded like distant maulings of wild beasts tearing against flesh interspersed with rapid gunfire, "_This Gentle Man character came over the Tear has added another problem to the mix!_"

Maggie spoke again, "_I've spoken with the Director and if this mess isn't sorted by 2100, the site will be transitioned into a black site status and decommissioned. Get your shit together. All of you,"_ There was a rather strong 'click' as Maggie disconnected and Batman took it to mean she'd literally removed herself from the channel. This site was on its own.

But to the task at hand. Batman caught a wild hay-maker thrown by a half-blind guard. It was obvious that in the smoke the man couldn't tell much about his target other than he wasn't one of his fellow guards. Batman hoisted the man into the air by his arm and threw him across the room.

As the man sailed through the air, Batman spoke into his radio to Robin, "ETA?"

"Encryption is surprisingly low-level," Robin replied, "When you hacked it, you overrode it's directives. They tried to fry it to stop it from reaching our level. When that didn't work, they completely overloaded the controls by remote. Nothing physical oddly enough, just deleted software stuff,"

Batgirl nudged her boyfriend, "ETA?" she asked impatiently, "I don't like having this hunk of dead alien space tech sitting behind me. In the dark,"

Robin felt his cheeks burn a bit, "Sorry. Five minutes,"

"Unit 3 is having difficulty on sublevel 2 in reclaiming DH f-3!" they heard one guard bark into the radio, "Requesting immediate assistance!"

Batman turned his head and saw the one who'd called for reinforcements barely stable against the wall. Immediately, he launched himself across the small space and smashed the unfortunate guard's head into the wall, knocking him out. That left one more guard and the smoke was fading fast.

He heard thumping at the stairs and was confident there were at least ten more men heading his direction from the stairs. Batman flinched in his position to look to the door. He thought of barring their entry by using a bat-a-rang to pin the handle shut, but that would entail leaving a trace behind. A trace of the Bat. That was out of the question.

"You hear that, intruder?" Batman swiveled his head to the final guard, "I can't see you but they will get you. Soon we will flood this room and you won't be going anywhere,"

A slight rock and crash to the facility punctuated the man's threat and Batman knew in that moment that he was right. Batman could easily dispatch the men. Twelve against him? He'd handled so many more. But that was when it was alright to be seen, he couldn't afford to be even glimpsed here. Had he had more space and time, he would have been able to take them out one or even two at a time like a predator stalking prey. But circumstances were against him, _I really should look into that invisible plastic. Work out some of the bugs and-_

Batman's thoughts were interrupted by the crackling of static and the faint sound of Diana's voice. He felt a bit calmer at the hint of the woman he'd come to love, but what was she saying? It was too garbled to hear properly, obviously the thick walls of the facility and the depth below ground heavily interfered with the BatWave. But even still, the slight ringing static gave him an idea.

He watched the final guard stumble towards him with a taser drawn. This one's vision was obviously returning, "Robin?"

"Almost got it…"

Batman gritted his teeth as he heard the heavy bootfalls round the final corner of the stairwell. In seconds the room would be filled with more guards. He'd have to act quickly. Batman hopped forward to meet the approaching guard earlier than the man had anticipated. Still disoriented with his vision severely blurred in the dark, the man took a wild swing with his taser and completely missed the nimble hero.

Batman wrapped his arms around the man's torso and threw him over his head to the stairwell door. The door began to open as various 'hut hut's and 'ho-rah's came from just beyond, but once the door barely got three inches open, the thrown guard's body violently crashed into it, slamming it shut to the chagrin of the guards behind.

"I got it!" Robin's elated exclamation couldn't have come at a better time. The elevator whirred to life much to the protest of the stunned guards behind the door. Even so, more time would need to be bought.

Batman slid across the expanse and, using the unconscious guard's hand restraints, he locked the door to an exposed bit of industrial pipes. Within another second, he'd slid back to the elevator, "Take us out of here," he said with a sigh of relief.

"Don't mind if I do," Robin punched in a few keys on the wall-mounted terminal and then twisted the knob on the sonic device he'd used to disrupt all incoming signals to the terminal, "Just gotta keep this set until-"

"What is that?" Batman interrupted.

"Sonic displacer," Robin replied, "You built it for this purpose, remember?"

The building shook again, this time as if something larger was getting closer. Batman looked back at the lobby. The corridor they'd come down glowed orange-red again from the far side… No, it wasn't one glow, it was two, "Is that what you've been using?"

Robin nodded, "It was the fastest way to kick out their kill signal," he responded, "Why?"

At that moment, the stairwell door blew open, throwing the body of the guard across the room and the ten guards quickly filled the room, but not quickly enough. Batman, Batgirl and Robin took hiding places on and around the DarkHeart shard, much to Batgirl's disgust, and did their best to stay out of sight of the guards scouring the room. But they each knew it was only a matter of seconds before one guard would enter the elevator.

Batgirl braced her fists for that moment. In one hand she held a flash bang and in the other a handful of sonic beads. Whatever Batman's deal against the sonic weaponry that they'd often made use of he was going to have to get over it.

"Clear! Check the elevator,"

Batgirl braced herself against the corpse of the DarkHeart and prepared to pop up and throw down her projectiles. Sure the mission was to not be seen, but they were running out of options. She heard the metallic clang of a boot stepping from the linoleum flooring onto the elevator's harsh grate-like metal floor and crouched to jump.

Just before she could explode up and execute her plan, a boom sounded aloud and a frantic voice came over the radio while also being heard from within the lobby, "KR-1 is in SE-1's lobby! KR-1 is in SE-1's lobby!"

Sporadic gunfire and screams could be heard from the opposite side of the DarkHeart and Batgirl closed her eyes in fear, hoping against hope that KR-1 wasn't their code for some sort of Elder Thing. But the way things were going, whatever it was, it had to be fearsome.

More shouts. More gunfire. A tap at her shoulder took her from her stupor. Robin pointed over her shoulder from his position by her, "I need to close the door and trigger the emergency release,"

She saw the bat-a-rang in his hand and pressed herself back up against the DarkHeart. With her out of the way, Robin was able to throw his weapon. Bullseye. The door resumed closing slowly and its sound actually was mostly drowned out by the absolute chaos a few feet away.

"KR-1 is heading for the elevator!" A guard called into his radio but it was a futile effort. A sickening crunch sounded over the radio and the man's final breath echoed through the airwaves a simple sigh.

"Nope. I'm not dying tonight. Not here; not like this," Batgirl jumped forward and sprung off the wall before either Batman or Robin could react. She curled her fists and threw her projectiles, but not before she got a good look at KR-1.

Shaken by the sight of the terror, her hands faltered. While the flash bang flew forward and erupted, blinding KR-1 for a moment, the sonic beads fell inert to the floor. Batgirl landed on the opposite side of the DarkHeart and shook off the surprise of just what had been terrorizing the facility… at least aside from the Tear.

KR-1 growled at her and she realized the flash bang had barely affected KR-1, only blinding it for what must have been at most two seconds. The bipedal terror crouched and leapt forward to enter the elevator before the doors could close. But Batgirl was ready.

She slammed her fists together, activating the electric knuckle features of her gauntlets and threw all her might into one punch. There was a crackle and pop of energy as her electrified fist connected with KR-1's cheek. The resulting explosion of energy flung both participants back and a moment later the door slammed shut, separating the Bat-Clan from KR-1.

Only Batgirl saw KR-1's rage as he picked up various men and slammed their lifeless bodies against the thick Plexiglas window of the blast door. The elevator started to rise and then it was gone. Batgirl felt the G-forces of the elevator accelerating rapidly to the surface.

"Batman?" she called out with clear uncertainty.

"The Flying Fox is on it's way,"

"_KR-1 is in SE-1's shaft! Blast him down! Wings! Get him down!_"

"Batman…?"

"I hear it," He did his best to remain calm but the girl was obviously shaken. Neither he nor Robin had seen KR-1: she had. And whatever the formerly contained beast was, it had shaken her to her core, "Almost there,"

The ceiling above the elevator began to open and a welcomed sight greeted Batman's lenses: the clear night sky with stars hung like welcoming diamonds on silk. A wash of cool air rushed into the area and the smell of the old, recycled air from the subterranean facility faded away. Overhead, the Flying Fox flew high in the sky and began lowering itself. From his wrist, Batman activated anti-detection protocols programmed into his dropship. If everything went according to plan, they would take the DarkHeart up to the surface, connect it to the cable of the Flying Fox and make off with it and this organization would be none the wiser.

These plans began to falter when the elevator lurched down. Robin lost his footing and fell to the floor with a heavy thud and Batgirl screamed. A portion of the elevator floor near Robin's head was torn away by a powerful force and Robin chanced a glance into the dark gap. He was greeted by two burning red eyes.

**A/N: I know I don't usually put an author's note at the end, but I just want to wish everyone safety and security during this troubling time. Thank you for reading and please review.**


	9. Part 1: Chapter 9

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar ) **if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

"Oh, shit!" Robin rolled away from the hole just as twin searing hot streams of red fire streaked into the night sky faster than a speeding bullet.

Batman looked from his downed protégé to the cable hanging from the Flying Fox. He had to get them gathered and focused, "We have to get the DarkHeart connected!"

Batgirl got to her feet and bit her lip in an attempt to stop screaming. It barely worked. She did her best to focus on the task at hand: the DarkHeart fragment was already contained within a sort of harness for transport with a heavy duty carabiner connection at the top. If she could get the Flying Fox's winch connected to the carabiner, they could finally leave the god-forsaken desert. She drew her grapple gun and clambered upon the DarkHeart.

Batman watched her climb up the dead metal and appreciated the grace and dedication she had for the task. He turned to Robin. The orange-red breasted young man had just shoved all of the plastique in his belt down into the hole, "What is it?"

A second later an explosion rocked the service elevator and knocked Robin away from the hole and back onto his back. A furious screech came from the opposite side of the elevator. But something about the screech gave Batman with slight comfort: it was getting further away. The explosion had forced whatever KR-1 off of the bottom, "Robin! Topside!"

Robin rolled onto his feet and nodded quickly. He climbed up after Batgirl to help her connect the DarkHeart's container to the Flying Fox when the time came. He looked at her right hand and gasped, "Your hand! Is it… are you okay?"

Batgirl looked at her melted gauntlet and became aware of the damage, "Oh, the boss is going to freak!" She immediately rubbed her broken gauntlet with her left hand. The second her hands touched, she hissed in pain and pulled her hand away, "Ah crap, that hurts! And the gauntlet is ruined!"

"As long as you're okay,"

"I'll be fine," she paused then looked at Robin, "I looked into his eyes, Robin. I never noticed they were that blue,"

He had a feeling he knew who she meant and nodded.

The cable hanging from the stealthed Flying Fox dangled between the two and he immediately grabbed onto it. Batgirl straightened the carabiner on the DarkHeart and with a little stretching and struggle, the two partners managed to connect the two heavy duty cables.

"Batman!" Batgirl called down, "It's connected! Reel it in!"

Batman nodded and punched in a few keys on his gauntlet. The winch in the Flying Fox groaned and creaked as it started lifting the minivan sized fragment of the DarkHeart with Batgirl and Robin on top.

As it raised, the elevator underneath shook as another explosion ripped through the facility just as the service elevator broke the surface. People angrily shouting orders filled the airwaves of the radio as one of the guards stationed wherever Dr. Tala opened communications.

"_We can't shut down the Tear! The Enigma-Gate controls have been fried by one of the anomalies and KR-1 is still in the damn shaft!_"

A new voice came over the radio. A strong but calm feminine voice that oozed control and level-headed decision-making, "_Tala. Milo. Hamilton. Enter room 203, please. Desmond, while it was nice working with you I'm afraid you've jeopardized us with your… Project. I've activated the black-site protocol. Tala, we will recover what we can from your experiment after the protocol is complete,_"

"_Waller!_" An angry voice, presumably Dr. Desmond, raged over the radio, "_You can't do this to me! I helped you build Cadmus! It was out of my control! KR-1's mental system was tampered by Achilles'-_"

"_You'd do best to hold your tongue, Desmond,_" the woman snapped back like a whip, "_This line is no longer secure. We've had guests eavesdropping,_"

The Bat-Clan all exchanged looks then looked around the area. Though they were still cloaked by the Flying Fox's anti-detection protocols and the guards on the surface were few in number and mainly focused on the main entrance and not the service elevator, they'd been made. But how?

Waller continued, "_Your progress was slow and your mouth too big, you've caused me nothing but headaches in recent months. Vital personnel are being evacuated only and that does not include you. And do not worry about KR-1. He will be handled,_"

As if the experiment had heard its name, KR-1 rocked the underside of the elevator, tearing it away just as the hefty clump of alien material fully cleared the railing. Batman looked down from his perch upon the DarkHeart. He quickly flattened himself against the shard as a hunk of service elevator flew by him, barely missing his chest, and struck the Flying Fox.

"No!"

The vehicle lurched a bit and the winch stopped reeling in the DarkHeart fragment leaving it suspended by the line. Batman turned to Batgirl and Robin, "The remote antennae for the winch must have been damaged. Robin, get up there and activate the manual draw then warm up the engines and the Zeta Tube; Batgirl, stay here and ensure the connection holds,"

"Roger!" Robin zipped up to the Flying Fox's cargo bay without a seconds delay.

"What about you, Batman?" Batgirl asked.

"I'm going to stall that one,"

"But he's-"

"I know," Batman's eyes narrowed and looked down at the ground at KR-1. His eyes focused in on the raging humanoid's all-white jumpsuit with the red S-shield printed on the front, "He's Superman,"

* * *

Clark Kent was laying in bed. He'd been laying down for the better part of two hours and he still could not fall asleep. His bones were rattling and his muscles buzzing. This always happened whenever the cartridges wore off. As the effects diminished, he became lethargic and sleepy, but half an hour after the effects of the cartridge were fully out of his system, the lethargy transformed into a slight high that prevented him from sleeping. He hated it.

Another glance at the clock and another sigh. He didn't necessarily have anything to do the next day. Working as a contract writer for the Daily Planet rather than a full time writer ensured he had more free time to be Superman. It also meant he didn't have to go into an office, instead he could work from wherever he was whenever he wanted. As long as he had a notebook and a pen, he could work.

But even though he had nowhere to be bright and early, his farm training had raised him to rise with the rays of the sun and he wasn't about to turn his back on his upbringing. He'd already done that once. Never again.

Finally, after ten minutes of counting sheep, pigs and other various farm animals, Clark felt the claws of the sandman finally sink into his mind. He yawned wide with a stretch that could have shaken the block if he'd wanted it to and then curled up into a ball and began to drift to sleep. It made for an almost comical sight: the large and powerful man curled up in his bed. Alone.

...

A beeping on his nightstand pulled him from sleep just as he was on the cusp of slumber. Groggy and slightly perturbed, Clark rolled over to his nightstand and reached for his phone. He sloppily grabbed the handheld and droned into the mouthpiece, "Mmm Hello?"

Diana's voice, bright and cheerful, responded, "Clark? It's Diana. Are you busy? Do you have a moment?"

"I was sleeping. But I forget you live with the nocturnal man, so that may be foreign to you," He propped himself up on his elbow, "What's up, Diana?"

"It's Bruce. I can't get ahold of him,"

"He went to Nevada, right?"

"Yes, and he's been there much longer than either of us anticipated,"

Clark sat up a bit straighter at the concern in Diana's voice and rubbed his temple, "Well, gosh, Diana, I told Bruce that trip wasn't necessary or even wise!" He sighed and looked at his uniform. It was lazily draped over the back of his easy chair, "I have a few cartridges left. If you want, I can head out there to get him… But wait, couldn't he still be on his way back? I mean, Nevada's on the other side of the country almost and I'm pretty sure the Batplane isn't capable of clearing that much of the country so quickly while also remaining stealthed, right?"

"He, uh, he took the Flying Fox," Diana sounded a bit... Apprehensive. Like she was sharing something she'd promised to keep secret.

"Well, that's even slower with all that bulk," He scratched his head, "I'm sorry, but I don't think you've reason to worry. He's fine,"

"But he's not answering the BatWave. Usually he'd be in contact, especially after the ten minutes of the call waiting,"

Clark 'hmm'ed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "D'you want me to fly toward Nevada? I'm sure between the two of us, he shouldn't be too hard to track down. After all, flying from Nevada can get quite boring. Maybe he set it to autopilot and then fell asleep?"

"All three of them, Clark?" the Amazon asked with a trace of sarcasm, "You know Bruce doesn't sleep that deeply. Besides... They used a Zeta Tube,"

"A Zeta Tube?" Clark shot bolt upright and his feet planted straight on the floor, "He mounted Apokalyptian technology to the Flying Fox?"

"How else could he get to and from Nevada so quickly?"

"So he took two unnecessary and dangerous risks today," Clark wiped his tired eyes, "Wonderful," He grabbed his uniform's circlet from his nightstand and slipped of around his head, "Let me give him a ring and see if I can't get ahold of him,"

"Thanks, Clark," Diana breathed a sigh of relief.

"No problem, Diana, just hold on," Clark flicked a touch-sensitive gauge on the functional Kryptonian replica and centered his thoughts on Bruce. The comm device recognized the brain pattern and dialed out to Bruce over the Kryptonian neural network, "Priority Alpha, please,"

The circlet chirped in response and boosted the efficiency of the ping. After a few tense moments of static and silence, a sound came into Superman's head. A sound of a bitter and struggling friend.

"What is it, Superman?"

"Hey! Batman, just… Wondering how things are going,"

"At 10:23 in Metropolis?"

"Ye-Yeah," Superman pursed his lips in thought, "Why, is that weird?"

"For you, yes," Batman grunted back, "What do you need? I'm busy,"

"Wonder Woman's been trying to get a hold of you and gotten no response. I decided to try my luck,"

"I was underground. Can't help that. Do me a favor and tell her to have the Batcomputer run a search for a project or company named 'Cadmus'. I'll call her when I'm through here,"

Superman nodded casually through a sleepy sigh, "Sure, sure, Batman. Any particular reason?"

"They cloned you,"

* * *

Diana could only hear Clark's end of the conversation, but she could tell whatever conversation he was having with Batman, it was not a pleasant one. She didn't have to see Clark to know the face he was making. It was definitely the 'furrowed brow and bared teeth with slight spittle flicking out from between his teeth as he breathed heavy and hot breaths' face. Despite the funny facial expression fresh in her mind, Diana did not laugh. She knew that the silly face really only came from something catching him by surprise and infuriating him.

"Superman?"

Her only response was the grating of teeth on the other line.

"Superman, what's happened? What did he say?"

"Wonder Woman," The sleepy voice of Clark Kent was replaced by the alert voice of the Man of Steel, "Queue up the Batcomputer and search for 'Cadmus', please,"

"'Cadmus'? Cadmus was the first king of Thebes. What does he have to do with where Batman is?"

"No, sorry," Superman replied a bit impatiently, "I forget sometimes just how old you are. No. Cadmus is an organization apparently,"

Diana went to work entering the query on the Batcomputer and starting the search. She set parameters to ignore results that were heavy on the mythical Greek king in an effort to narrow down the search. The sooner she got the results back, the better based on Superman's immediate shift in attitude.

Diana caught the Man of Steel muttering under his breath, "I've never felt so violated in my life," He wasn't sleepy anymore. "Wonder Woman, I'm coming to the 'Cave," She didn't even get a moment to respond before Superman hung up the phone.

* * *

The line with Superman died and Batman returned to the task at hand. Moments ago he'd jumped from the DarkHeart and tackled the young man sporting Superman's trademark symbol. The attack must have come as a surprise because the young man wasn't at all prepared for the Dark Knight's attack.

Batman hadn't given his foe time to recover: two electric bat-a-rangs embedded themselves into the KR-1 and electricity flowed through him, causing his muscles to seize up. In that moment, Batman looked up to the DarkHeart.

The fragment was mere feet away from being drawn into the cargo bay of his dropship. Batgirl was gently but quickly guiding Robin in pulling it in. He would only have to hold off the raging experiment for a few moments longer. That was when Superman 'called'.

He wasn't sure still what to call the telepathic connection Superman's circlet afforded him, but either way, Superman wanted to 'talk'. He'd taken the call without hesitation and as he spoke with the Man of Steel, it dawned on him why KR-1 looked and grunted so familiar. This wasn't just some random Joe off the street or a lab attempt at mimicking Superman's abilities; no, this _was_ Superman, albeit a younger one.

His initial guess had been correct, the G-K lights had been kryptonite-based. The Kr portion of KR-1's designation? The Earthen chemical symbol for the element coincidentally named 'krypton'. This was a clone of the Man of Steel. But unlike Bizarro, this one seemed much more stable. In the blink of an eye, the clone had Batman pinned to the ground and finally Superman had hung up the line. Now Batman could return to the fight with his mind firing on all cylinders.

He clapped both hands over KR-1's ears and the clone recoiled in pain, clutching at his ears. Not willing to let the opportunity pass him by, Batman lashed out with a flurry of blows to the clone's stomach and chest. It was like punching a brick wall, but it was enough. KR-1 hunched over instinctively, just within range. Batman put his fists together and rocked KR-1 across the face.

In shock and anger, KR-1 spun away from Batman and let loose with his heat vision. Batman rolled onto his back and out of the way of the lasers. As he landed, he flung a smoke pellet out which KR-1 blasted with his heat vision. As a result, the area was coated in smoke.

Batman drew out his grapple gun. This wasn't a fight he'd be able to win. Not without preparation and not with so much at stake. He aimed his grapple gun for the Flying Fox and fired, "Robin, are the engines warmed up? We're going to have to beat a hasty retreat,"

"Engines are ready to peel, boss," Robin replied over comms, "And Batgirl is locking down the DarkHeart. Get out of there! We've got something aerial coming in hot!"

The grapple caught the rim of the Flying Fox's belly just as the smoke began to dissipate. _Cover's vanishing much faster than I'd anticipated,_ Batman watched as the smoke he'd thrown down vanished, as if being sucked away, Then he saw it.

KR-1 was inhaling the smoke like a living vacuum tube. Once the cover was completely gone, KR-1 gave a slight huff and smoke billowed out from his nostrils and his eyes flared red. He gave the impression of a dragon and had Batman stared longer, the clone would have dug up images of Batman's own fight with the Man of Steel the year prior.

"Robin, take us out of here," Batman activated the recoil of his grapple and after a second, he felt the Flying Fox pull him forward and upward.

KR-1 screamed out in rage, angry that his prey was fleeing from him. With a mega leap, he left the Earth in hot pursuit. From his mouth spewed a cool breeze and Batman watched as ice particles formed in the crazed experiment's breath and headed straight for him.

"Higher, Robin!" But his warning came too late. KR-1 leapt after Batman again, this time with more vertical distance, and was able to latch onto Batman's foot. His slim but powerful fingers wrapped around his ankle.

In retaliation, Batman smashed his boot heel into KR-1's fingers in a vain attempt to get him to relinquish his hold. But with each kick, KR-1 only grew angrier and a distinct red glow filled his eyes.

Batman withdrew a couple of smoke pellets and threw them into the clone's face. Smoke enveloped the clones face for the briefest of moments and the first laser shot flew wild. The beam missed the Flying Fox entirely and thankfully, but it easily severed Batman's grapple cord. With the line broken, both parties plummeted.

* * *

"Oh, crap," Batgirl watched from the rear of the Flying Fox as Batman and Superman's clone fell away from the craft, "The Bat's down!"

"What?"

Batgirl stood up and double checked the latches on the DarkHeart before triggering the rear ramp to open, "The Bat's down," she repeated, "Superboy down there broke Batman's grapple. Try to get in contact with Wonder Woman, Rob,"

"'Superboy'?" Robin glanced over his shoulder and slowed the Flying Fox into a turn, "And just what do you think you're doing?"

"I have to help him, Robin. He fought Superman by himself last year. I can't leave him alone to that sort of fight again," She braced herself over the exit ramp as winds in excess of sixty miles an hour tugged and pulled at her cape. She'd never been subject to a tropical storm but in that moment, she felt that what she was buffeting was on par with the winds.

She spotted her boss and the man who'd pulled him down quickly. The dark bat-shaped cape made for an quick find against the dark blue-brown of the desert, and the pale white humanoid was easy enough to spot. She crouched to make her jump, but just before she leapt, something… small raced across the desert surface. It made a bee line for Batman and KR-1, "What is that?"

* * *

Batman twisted in mid-air away from another blast of KR-1's heat vision but he knew he couldn't keep dodging the strikes and prepare for impact with the ground. The time to deploy his cape's parachute function was lessening quickly and he knew the moment he did it, he'd be an easy target.

He risked a few more precious seconds and threw a batch of instant cement at KR-1's face. The pellets exploded on contact with his face and covered his face with sticky goop. KR-1 fought to remove it from his face, but the more he struggled with the nontoxic mixture, the more it held fast to his face.

Batman activated his cape's parachute function mere moments before a parachute would not have mattered. His cape ballooned up and the familiar shadow of a bat was cast over the painted dry desert.

A few tense seconds passed as the ground grew closer. He heard Superman's clone crash hard into the desert and knew his own contact would soon arrive. He braced for the moment. Batman crashed through a shrub and a few rotted Joshua Trees before rolling to a painful stop on the dusty ground.

A loud scream forced Batman's eyes open and he ignored the pain in his side as he got to his feet. He'd barely straightened up when a blur of white smashed into the ground near him like a truck: the clone, face still mostly covered, had completely fractured the ground. Batman took a step back to steady himself and the clone's head snapped in his direction, teeth bared in anger.

_Acute hearing, I_ see, Batman brushed some thistles from the cloth of his uniform then dropped into a low and stable stance.

The putty covering the clone's eyes began to glow a bit red. Batman twisted as his side flashed a complaint and flipped backwards onto his hands in a backflip. The moment Batman was horizontal, the putty shattered and exploded off the clone's face and two red-hot beams of pure rage and hatred streamed out of KR-1's eyes. The beams burned through the air and Batman could feel the heat coming off the rays through his suit. He fell to his back and rolled to the side.

He righted himself in time to see KR-1 falling towards him, knee first. The speed with which the Kryptonian clone moved was unreal. He'd known Superman held back on many occasions, but this was something else entirely: something new. He braced himself for the strike that was sure to at least jelly some bones.

Just before KR-1's knee landed, a hollow red beam blasted the fighter out of the air. KR-1 tumbled across the desert floor and came to a stop. As the dust settled, KR-1 rose up again to meet the Dark Knight but before he could even take another step, another red beam struck him, pushing him further into the dirt.

Batman, crouched in a ready position, swiveled with a bat-a-rang ready to throw. However, who he saw gave him pause. He saw a man with a yellow and black uniform with a blue and yellow headpiece sporting a black winged mask over his eyes. His pale blue wings fluttered in the night sky and one of his arms was outstretched. A red band around his forearm glowed faintly and the scowl on his face seemed forced.

A twitch and a crumble of rubble sounded behind Batman and in instinct he turned and flung his weapon. The bat-a-rang sailed through the air end over end and struck KR-1, exploding on contact. At the same moment, a third beam of red energy struck KR-1 knocking him even further away. But this beam didn't relent: it was constant.

The clone attempted a second time to get up and fight against the beam but groaned in pain. It was the first sound he made that was remotely human. The way he struggled to even raise his head seemed more like he was being sapped of his strength by the newcomer's consistent barrage. Eventually, the young man gave in to his pain and with a final sigh, set his head down and passed out.

When both men were sure that KR-1 wouldn't be getting up, Batman and the flying man faced each other. A moment of silence came over the two as the man came to the ground, his wings flapping less and less as he drew closer to the ground. The moment his feet touched the ground he smiled.

"Batman! A big fan!" His voice was deep and stately, "I've always wanted to meet you, though I wish under different circumstances. Big, big fan!" He extended a hand with the grin still plastered on his face.

Batman pulled his hands into his cape and took a step back, eyes narrowing behind his lenses. He judged the man before him and couldn't help but feel the man was inspired by Katar… "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry!" He straightened up and his pale blue wings folded slightly. What resulted was a rather militaristic stance, almost like he naturally wanted to snap to attention, then realized what he was doing and tried to stop the reaction. The result was an artificial sort of movement that was wholly unnatural, but the look on his face seemed so proud, "My name is Raymond Randall, but you can call me," he took a breath and took a wider stance. His fists went to his hips and he puffed his chest out. What came next caught Batman off-guard: he bellowed his callsign, "Birdman!"


	10. Part 1: Chapter 10

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)**and then Act 2 **( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

"'Birdman'? He called himself 'Birdman'?" Batgirl was obviously not buying it, "What kind of lame superhero name is that?"

Batman sat behind the controls of the Flying Fox as he guided the machine back to base. They'd entered Gotham airspace via Zeta Tube over the harbor waters. It was riskier than the original plan to enter the Eastern coast over international waters, but they were escaping a rather persistent… fan.

After tangling with a clone of Superman, who Batgirl laughably dubbed 'Superboy', Batman was saved by a newcomer. The self-proclaimed 'Birdman' identified himself as 'Raymond Randall' and a cursory search did come up with a few hundred possible results as to _which _particular Raymond Randall was behind the mask. Now free of the watchful eye of the Birdman, Batman and company could reflect on their recent mission.

"I don't know who this 'Birdman' is or where he comes from," Batman said, "But he isn't Thanagarian,"

"And you know that for sure?"

Batman nodded, "His wings were blue, not the natural tan-brown like Shayera or Katar,"

"That's true," Batgirl added, "And when he was heading your way, he didn't flap his wings as much as Katar would. And I know that gliding is a thing… Heck, we glide! But the night air was still. He was soaring without flapping his wings,"

Another nod from the Bat, "The Zeta Tube use interfered with the BatWave it seems. We're back in range. I'm going to reach out to Wonder Woman and see if she was able to get anything on Cadmus," He twisted a range-band knob on the dash of the Flying Fox and hit the button for the intercom to share whatever Wonder Woman would share with all those onboard.

Meanwhile, Robin and Batgirl eyed the mass of DarkHeart before them, one with wonder and the other with disgust. Robin ran his fingers over the alien machinery and felt the various differences of textures in the metal. His hand brushed over the more sponge-like purple glass membrane and he could help but laugh, "This is incredible,"

Batgirl gagged, "This is what you fought in the desert? It's disgusting," she stuck her tongue out at the mass, "How can it look and act like a deflated balloon while also being metallic?"

Robin chuckled, "It's alien material of the highest order. Come on," he motioned with his hand to join him, "Touch it,"

She hesitated at first but soon approached his side, "This is gross, bud," she tentatively put out her hand but it wavered over the DarkHeart's surface, "I don't know, Robin, it's giving me a bad vibe,"

Robin put his hand over Batgirl's own and gently pushed her hand to the surface, "See?" contact was made and he felt her hand relax under his palm, "It's broken and inert: it's off. It can't hurt you,"

Batgirl rubbed the metal. It felt cool to the touch and slick like it was coated in oil despite it being obviously dry. That only increased her unease, "I mean, sure? But it is still an alien machine from space. Aside from it being a molecular-reordering death machine, how do we know it isn't coated in, like, space germs or viruses of some sort?"

Robin shrugged, "Government's had it down there for at least a day," He moved his hand from hers and stroked the alien material again, "If anything, they would have properly decontaminated it by now,"

"Quiet," Batman's bark came from the cockpit, "I've got an incoming call,"

The cabin went silent as Batman answered Wonder Woman's call, "Diana,"

"Not quite, Batman," A strict and unexpected voice came over the intercom.

Batman instantly recognized her voice. Her voice was the same that they'd heard over the intercom: the cool-headed director, "Waller," Batman's trademark snarl was on in full effect.

Robin wished he could have seen her face because if the Director had been shaken by Batman's tone, her voice didn't betray it, "So, you know my name. Am I supposed to be impressed? I don't hide behind masks,"

"No," Batman agreed, "Just shell corporations and government firms. How did you get this channel?"

"Questions, Batman, for another time. Unless you feel like answering to the government why a former Justice Lord decided to trespass on a military facility?"

Batman's face contorted even more into a look of anger and frustration. He had to admit she was right. It was what he'd been warned about by both Superman and Wonder Woman. But he _hadn't _been caught. The base was so preoccupied with their multiple breaches… How did this woman figure out he'd been the one's there? _Unless..._

"You don't have to listen to me, Batman. You're not one of my soldiers nor are you on my payroll _and_ despite what you may think, we are not enemies. For now, at least. But do take my advice: don't probe too deeply. You've taken a substantial sample of the DarkHeart. Fine. I'm letting you get away with it. Count that as a token of peace between us,"

"I won't look the other way to crime, Waller,"

"That's _Director_ Waller, Batman. I use your title, you'd do well to use mine. It's respect. And I do what I do for national and international security. It isn't against the law if no one knows to make laws against it. Take the DarkHeart back to your cave but remember our conversation. I have Gotham Air Base on hold and enough evidence of your intrusion if you are game to try my patience, though,"

Batman gritted his teeth and both Batgirl's and Robin's hearts became pits of despair, "Know this," Batman said, "If you _ever_ pose a threat to the American people or the world, the Justice League will take you down. I will take you down,"

"Funny," Waller's voice carried amusement, the first trace of emotion, "I was going to say the same thing. About you,"

_Click._

The call cut out just as the Flying Fox approached the BatCave and that click left a palpable silence inside the cabin. Only the hollow hum of the engines and the whirring of various mechanical processes and the blowing wind outside made sound. Batgirl looked to Robin and though most of her face was well-hidden by her helmet, her fear was on full display.

"You okay?" his voice was barely above a whisper.

Batgirl nodded slightly, "Who was she?" her voice matched his in volume, barely audible.

"I don't know," Batman's voice was firm, "But I will find out,"

* * *

Diana watched from the Batcomputer's chair as the Flying Fox set itself down on the landing platform in the hangar, "Well, it's about time," she swiveled in her chair and tacked a few more keys bringing up the results she'd gotten for Batman's Cadmus inquiry then faced the Bat-Clan as they unloaded themselves and their cargo from the dropship.

"Be careful with the DarkHeart. It may be inert but that doesn't mean it can't still be dangerous," The Dark Knight instructed his charges as they used a robotic lift to unload the fragment of the alien tech from the cargo bay, "Put it in the sublevels near the R&D lab. There should be enough tools there to do basic analysis. Tomorrow, I'll give Dr. Palmer a ring. For now," Batman approached Diana, "We have work to do,"

"Welcome back," She tilted her head, "What happened?"

"Cadmus. What do you have?"

Diana flared her nostrils but accepted his change of topic. The fingers of her left hand danced across the Batcomputer terminal and a flurry of results, both text and images, flooded the main screen, "More than I'd expected but not as much as you'd like," she started, "A lot of it is repeat and general information. The full name is 'Project Cadmus' and it seems they were hidden by a shell corporation. I can't find any reference to Cadmus or their cover company before our first year as the Justice Lords,"

Batman looked over the information, "Alfred,"

"Yes, Master Bruce," The BatCave's A.I. chirped back.

"Filter out duplicate results," He watched as the majority of results vanished from the screen as Alfred swept through the results. He read the leftovers and one caught his eye, "Interesting," He moved the cursor to highlight the particular result and summarized aloud, "This indirect reference comes from a research paper published by Dr. Milo,"

"You knew him earlier," Robin remarked, "You've had past dealings with him, I assume?"

Batman nodded, "Early in my career. Dr. Achilles Milo was, and I see still is, an unscrupulous doctor. Used to work for Bruce Wayne's friend, Roland Daggett. Daggett tasked Dr. Milo to work on a treatment for a disease that afflicted mammals in north Gotham. Milo made quick work of a vaccine to Daggett's pleasure. However, on a surprise audit of Milo's work, Daggett found that the 'good' doctor was stealing strays off the street, purposefully infecting them with the disease and then attempting to cure them," Batman took a pause as he thought back to those early, formative years.

"How did Daggett know to look into it?" Diana asked, "He's not always the most attentive to details within his own company from what I've noticed,"

"It was a case close to a former ally's heart. She brought it to my attention and we worked the case together,"

Diana felt a bit of salt welling in her throat and she fought to swallow it down, "Catwoman,"

"Selina Kyle, yes,"

"Oh, I remember her!" Kimber blurted out, "My dad had one of her cases. He used to follow her sightings through an RSS feed like fifteen years ago!" She laughed under her helmet, "I used to think she was your wife!" As soon as the words were out, she clapped her mouth shut and her eyes darted to Diana.

Wonder Woman's eyes narrowed and her facial muscles tensed up, "What happened to her?"

Batman didn't look away from the screen, "Last I checked, she was in Paris living off the wealth of a final caper. She stopped causing trouble; I stopped searching for her,"

"Almost got her, huh?" Diana gave a slight smile and her cheeks relaxed.

Batman said nothing.

Diana cleared her throat uncomfortably, "So, this Milo was a former doctor under Roland's employ?"

Batman nodded, "He'd always had a penchant for gene editing. He pioneered something he called 'splicing', a merging of humans with animal DNA. Working off of Dr. Langstrom's notes and formula after the Man-Bat incidents, Milo eventually was able to give human subjects selective traits from animals,"

"Gene editing?" Batgirl looked at the screen, "Sounds like the guy you'd want in charge of whatever KR-1 is," Then she snapped her fingers, "You called him a clone! You think this Dr. Milo had a key part to play in the creation of Superman's clone?"

Batman nodded, "But it was a joint effort. Another doctor was mentioned: Hamilton, a former high-profile S.T.A.R. lab researcher that was a friend to Superman back in Metropolis. His tune quickly changed after the Darkseid invasion then soured further after we took control as the Justice Lords,"

"I recall him now," Diana added, "He worked with a few 'hacktivist' groups to seed dissent online. He was quite the proponent of speaking out against the Justice Lords,"

"Against us, yes," Batman clacked a few more keys and brought up a secondary window displaying the picture of a man with short, thinning, dark mustard colored hair matching mustache and beard, and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses sitting atop a sharp nose. His face was in a resting position and his eyes seemed to spew a controlled fire.

"Looks like a pleasant guy," Batgirl remarked dryly, "A real ladies man,"

"His online handle was 'Hamiltron'. A bit on the nose, but he made a name for himself in their community," Batman scrolled through the profile, "Organizing a few different digital terror cells. I know J'onn and Superman did get him relieved from his position at S.T.A.R. Labs for his involvement after I traced him down in the process of dismantling a cell based in Gotham. He's been off the grid ever since,"

"Well, now we know where he's been. Government's propped him up,"

"It's no surprise," Batman acknowledged Batgirl's comment, "Despite his ardent hatred for Kent, Hamilton is a brilliant mind and it would be a waste to let him whither in a jail cell. However, seems Cadmus assigned him to a different project," He swiped his hand over the trackpad and all of Milo's information poured into a headshot of the splicing pioneer and then the same happened but for Dr. Hamilton. A red line connected the two to an image that bore the word 'Cadmus', "Another name was associated with control of KR-1: Desmond,"

An icon with a default anonymous headshot with a blank face popped onto the screen with the name 'Desmond' underneath and a dotted line connected it to Cadmus, "One single name is not enough to go off of. Unknown if it is a first name or surname. I'll have Alfred run a search in recent fringe scientific circles for anyone by the name or username 'Desmond' and have each result cross-referenced with cloning and genetics along with possible connections to our two doctors here,"

"Or I could save you the time,"

All eyes but Batman's turned to the newcomer. Superman floated into the BatCave through the secret harbor dressed in his full regalia. His cape fluttered in the draft as if it were a natural extension of his body, "His name is Miles Desmond. I would have been here earlier, but I had to make a pitstop for some information,"

He landed gingerly on the harsh metal floor and strode to the group, "Diana, it's good to see you," he patted his long-time friend's shoulder then greeted Batman's two field partners, "Kimber. Curtis. You saw the clone?"

Batgirl nodded and, at the sound of her name, removed her helmet and shook out her hair, "Like something out of a nightmare. Faster than a speeding, well, you know," She looked down at her own human hands and made a fist, "I often forget just how strong you are and just how much you hold back," She looked back at the reformed Man of Steel, "You have a scary amount of power, Superman,"

"I've seen stronger," Batman humphed without turning.

Superman crossed his arms, "Name one,"

Batman glanced over his shoulder, "You know exactly who I'm talking about,"

"And yet who came out on top?"

"If it wasn't for me? It would have been a draw," Batman faced forward, "Desmond was apparently the one in charge of project KR-1. The question becomes, how did he clone Superman?"

"It's no secret that S.T.A.R. Labs and I had a very close working relationship in the past. That relationship was only further strengthened during the Justice Lords. In their facilities, I was able to safely test my abilities and my limits without risking injury. It's entirely possible that during those tests, my DNA was swiped for later use,"

"And Desmond?"

"I visited Dr. Stone on the way here. That's why I was late. He said Dr. Miles Desmond is a chemist. He worked at S.T.A.R. Labs under Emil for a time before being recruited by LexCorp to work on some sort of perfume line of all things. Apparently it paid better and he took the job. He worked there for a few more years and then quit unexpectedly when he attended a conference in Vegas around the end of the Justice Lords' first year,"

Robin looked back to the screen, "A conference in Vegas about five years back?" He quickly clicked on Dr. Milo's profile picture and brought the splicer's files again. His keen eyes scanned one document. It was a declassified memo between Dr. Milo and a military contact at the Pentagon, "Dr. Milo mentioned attending a conference in Nevada that same year in the summer. Mentioned the presentations were lacklustre aside from his own. The hubris of the guy,"

Kimber read over Robin's shoulder, "Looks like that is our missing link between Desmond and Milo. Hey, just putting this out there, check if Dr. Hamilton attended the same conference,"

"He did," Robin replied curtly.

The assurance in his voice caught Kimber by surprise, "What do you mean 'he did'? You already saw it in a previous record? We haven't looked that closely at his files,"

"Nope," Robin gave Kimber a weird smile, "He told me himself,"

The young woman's face filled with confusion and her brow furrowed, "What?"

Robin turned his attention back to the screens as Batman filled Kimber in, "During the Justice Lords reign, Dr. Hamilton got involved in organizing online 'hacktivist' groups just as Superman said. One of the more prolific groups was based in Gotham: the group I took down. One member managed to elude my digital eye. That same member was very close to Hamiltron, often exchanging lengthy correspondences and sharing tips with each other,"

Kimber looked to Robin with curious eyes, "You mean-"

"When I retreated after the Justice Lords were dismantled, I spent some days tracking down the one that got away," He gestured at Robin, "It took more time than I'd like to admit, but I eventually was led to a high school student named Curtis Walker,"

Robin pulled his mask off and winked at Kimber, "Tech geek, remember? I'm good for something. I remember Hamiltron telling me about this conference. He attributed his anti-Justice Lords activity to that conference,"

"What did he share?"

Curtis returned his attention to the screen, "Nothing about the attendees. Very hush-hush. Apparently, it was supposed to be a secret gathering of the creme of the crop. Researchers and politicians. A few military personnel from the world over. None of the Justice Lords fans, obviously. Judging by how little we know about it now, I'd wager a guess that the Justice Lords did not know about it either,"

"No," Diana shook her head, "We were still establishing our, er, control,"

"Well, he was there. And it was filled with powerful and intelligent people who were none too happy with the new rulers," he paused in thought, "I wouldn't be surprised if the seeds of Cadmus were planted right there,"

* * *

The sun beat down on his back relentlessly. He could almost feel every single ray of sunlight on his bare skin, the crash of every photon colliding with his cutaneous tissue. Of course, he wasn't _actually_ experiencing the heat at such a detailed level; however, the heat was harsh and the ground was near-scalding.

He strained to retain consciousness and for a split second contemplated partaking in the water bottle to his left. But no, he couldn't. To accept the bottle was to accept defeat. This was training for him, a hardening of his body and mind to nourish the soul. The cracked dry muscle that was his tongue licked his dehydrated lips. He felt the fissures and edges of dry skin and winced slightly as his tongue brushed over an opened cut. Damn, it was hot.

He gathered a few salts on his tongue and swallowed a dry lump of spit. _Just a bit longer,_ he thought to himself, _Just a bit longer…_ He kept his eyes closed and retreated more into his mind. There was nothing else to do but be alone with his thoughts. That's what meditation was all about, after all.

He contemplated how he'd gotten to this point in his life. From living paycheck to paycheck in one of the busiest cities in a first world country to sitting buck naked in the desert in the middle of a third world country. His life was a fantastic series of events. At the thought of his journey, he felt his fingers itch for his sword. _His_ sword. The angelic blade whispered for him to take it but he dared not give in. He knew the blade was tempting him, testing his will. No, he couldn't take up Uriel. He had to wait.

It wouldn't be much longer now. Soon he would have the revelation he so desperately needed and soon he would pick up where his wayward mentor left off: the divine task he'd taken up so long ago. His mentor had failed because his Avatars were flawed. In his pride, the head of the demon had given the Avatars their roles rather than letting Him set them.

_But He is with me now,_ the man told himself, _He retreated into me and now I am never alone._

A sound came from his right, a loud off-road type jalopy trawling through the desert. Nothing to worry about. He continued to sit in the blistering heat. He could already feel some of his skin bubbling on his back, but he was confident his lord would sustain him, his lord would protect him. His god would keep him as long as he did His will.

He felt a gasp escape his body. It wasn't a conscious gasp nor was it a gasp of his making. Rather, it was a gasp of one waking from a deep sleep suddenly. His eyes snapped open as his breath left his mouth and he watched the vapor trail slink from his mouth and float on nothing in a south-easterly direction.

_There we go_, the man slowly and painfully unfolded his limbs and stood. With reverence he reached out his hand for Uriel and the other-worldly weapon was pulled into his grasp by an unseen force. As his fingers curled around the ancient hilt, he felt a surge of energy and power. He kicked with his left foot carefully and his water bottle flipped up into the air. He caught it with his free hand and squeezed a fair portion into his eager lips. The sword may rejuvenate the soul but the flesh still had basic needs.

Once he was satisfied with his drink, he approached his traveler's pack and stuffed his water bottle into a side pocket. Next to his pack was a neatly folded cloak. With the wave of his hand, the cloak was draped over his back and for the first time in what felt like hours, there was a barrier between his back and the sun.

The cloak settled about his naked form and then, a moment later, he was covered in the crusading armor of Him. He took in the moment to reacquaint himself with the weight of the paladin armor. He felt two distinct pains at his back just below both scapulae but he forced the feelings away. His wings. As easy as it would be to approach from the sky as a divine figure, it would draw too much unwanted… attention. He'd eluded the detective for a year, no need to get cocky and play his hand now. No, it was much better still to remain hidden.

He slung his traveler's pack over his shoulders and began his march to the south-east to cleanse. Yes, he was cleansing. Cleansing the world of his mentor's mistakes. They were reorganizing themselves, Ra's' brotherhood, and He would not allow that. The mistake of the haughty Ra's al Ghul would be scorched from the face of the Earth, and then he could start over. Azra'il could start over.

For Ra's had made another, even more costly mistake. Yes, the head of the demon had chosen his Avatars incorrectly, but he did get one Avatar correct. Azra'il had poured over Ra's' notes and the old tomes in the man's library. He had access to his Master's eldritch knowledge and through all those unrelated facets, he'd gained understanding. Correlated its parts.

Yes, there were three Avatars for the End: Fear, Chaos, and Destruction. A trinity, one could say if they were so bold. But there was a forgotten, or purposefully discarded, fourth Horseman. One that was set to come after, tied to Icthultu's higher realm. And this wasn't the foolish idea of a wayward old man who'd dipped one too many times in the Pits of Gehenna. No, this was truth. This horseman must be defeated, laid to rest. For he was a more direct threat to Icthulhu's purpose than any sorcerer or sorceress. Because at the End of all things, the fourth horseman is.

* * *

Kimber slipped into her house, quiet as a mouse. Her delicate touch on the door knob garnered only the slightest click of the latch and as she pushed the door open, the door swept silently inward. She thanked her past self for having the awareness to spritz the door hinges with industrial lubricant as her ears were greeted with absolutely no squeaking.

_Easy-peasy,_ she pushed the door back in place with a slight lift to avoid the warped floorboard that had yet to be replaced all these years later. Her finger turned the locks on the door, top and bottom, carefully. With a final click, the door was back in place and the house was secure once again. She stopped moving for a moment to listen for any sign of movement in her father's house. Nothing.

She took a first step into the hall and relaxed her hold on her backpack. What was she worried about? Her father probably was out with Elden still. The man's vacation was almost over and he probably was just now getting into the swing of having fun, "Such a shame,"

The light behind her in the kitchen snapped on and flooded the hallway. A harsh voice came from behind her, "What's a shame?"

In a flash, she'd spun around and instinctively dropped into a fighting stance. Her brain calculated the movement it would take to draw her pocket knife and chuck it. But when she saw her father's fearful face, she relaxed, "Papa?"

"Woah, woah, Kimmie," he put up both hands defensively, "It's me," a nervous smile crept across his face and both parties breathed a sigh of relief. His sigh slid into a chuckle as he approached his daughter, "You know, I miss the days when scaring you meant you'd be more frightened silly and not anticipating an attack from a gang member,"

"Gang members don't bug me, Papa," she brushed her hands through her hair and felt her nerves still, "They're loud and easy to scare. I was more worried you were, well, the clown," she thought for a moment then added with a smile, "Or an Elder Thing,"

Goren bit his lip to fight the bitterness he felt towards his daughter's extracurricular activities. As much as he hated what working with the Bat had turned her in to, there was no denying how essential to the city she'd become. Batman, Batgirl and Robin worked like a well-oiled machine. Aside from the odd appearance of Nightwing and a few of the Titan members, no other heroes would step foot within Gotham's borders. It was an understood unspoken rule that no other hero held claim to the city where crime never sleeps.

"So…" it was a topic he definitely disliked, but he had to admit that he appreciated the excitement of her tales, "Where were you this time? East End? Gotham Heights? I know Elden's had more than a few cases as the Mutant gang slowly encroaches on the Jokerz territory. No, wait, that's in the Narrows," he looked at his daughter, "Don't tell me you went to the Narrows?"

Kimber's lips curled inward and pulled tightly to her face. Her eyes widened almost comically and she took a step to her bedroom, "Nevada," the word popped out of her mouth like a bubble.

There was a brief moment of unspoken information exchanged between father and daughter before they both snapped to action: Goren's mouth fell open and he reached out to grab his daughter's arm and restrain her, but Kimber was faster. She was already out of the hall and closing her bedroom door.

"Kimber!" Goren pushed off of the wall and stabilized himself before running to his daughter's closed door. His knocks came fast and fatherly, "Kimber, sweetie, open the door? What's this about Nevada?"

A soft 'hmm?' came from the other side of the pressed wood divider and a slight giggle caught the elder Lee's ears. There was a mix of shuffling and thumping as items in Kimber's room were moved around but the door remained closed.

"Nevada is across the country! You mean to tell me in one night you went to Nevada and back? Why? How?"

"Papa? Is that you?"

Goren sighed, "Kimmie, I'm not upset, I'm just confused… and scared. You went to Nevada in a night?" He paused as he wracked his brain for any hint as to why Batgirl would be needed in Nevada, "Does this have to do with that meteor the Justice League took care of in the desert?"

"Uh, no?"

"Kim," Goren protested again but found himself talking more to himself, "Ugh, you're as stubborn as your mother," He knocked a few more times, less frantically, as his head hung more. He took a big sniff of the air, "It's late, Kimber. Way after quiet hours. In fact it's closer to sunrise than to sunset,"

"_I'm _not sleepy," she shot back with a muffled and playfully smug tone.

"Not all of us know how to power nap like the Bat supposedly taught you. You're under my roof and my rules, Kim. Open this door-"

The single action latch at the knob clicked out of place and the door swung open and Kimber, now dressed for bed in a tee and sweats, invited her father into her space, "Well, gee, Papa," she grinned, "All you had to do was ask," she winked as Mr. Lee dropped his raised fist dumbly.

"...now," He finished his sentence, "I honestly didn't expect you to open the door,"

She gestured with her eyes for him to enter, "Why?"

Goren took a step into Kimber's room, his eyes roving the walls. They were the same that he'd remembered painting with his ex-wife when Kimber was expected: pink with accents of blue. But the pink was fading and the blue was well on its way to becoming a remnant only memory could dredge up. He ran his hand over a spot on the wall where Kimber's foot had bashed a hole in the plaster and chuckled, "You remember this spot?"

"Yeah… I was so excited to finally be able to do a handstand that I fell over and my foot went right into the wall," she plopped down on her bed, "How old was I?"

"You were six," Goren removed his hand and his eyes shifted from the spot to the full size mirror that was attached to the wall. His eyes were heavy and the bags under his eyes held all the worry and frustration that only a father could know, "When did I get so old?" He tilted his face in the mirror a few more times as he inspected every wrinkle and imperfection of his skin at different angles. A movement in the corner of the mirror caught his eye.

He watched Kimber through her reflection as she carefully reorganized her purse and slid a few nail care tools into a plastic container under her bed affording him a glimpse of a suit he had become too familiar with: her first Batgirl uniform. The homemade one. Even in the dusty light that barely illuminated the shoddy thing he could see the wear and tear of her fights.

His eyes traced up from the costume to her bare arm and he noticed a new bruise traveling from her fist to under her armpit. She straightened up with a new container from under the bed. Casually, she raised her shirt and popped open a cream that bore the Daggett seal of approval. She dipped two fingers of her opposite hand into the jar and smeared the substance along the large injury. He'd learned to stop asking how she got each bruise because _those_ stories were never good. But that didn't stop him from caring.

"When did you get so old…"

Kimber swallowed the heavy sadness her father's voice stirred in her and willed her hand to continue applying the balm to her bruise. She hated when her father reminisced about the past years. It got especially worse after revealing her secret identity to him in a moment of weakness, "If you're so concerned with getting older, I hear that new trials for 'Renuyu' are looking for testers,"

Goren shook his head with a tender smile and stood across from his daughter, "After that Clayface debacle? No thanks. I'm still not putting any chemical on my skin with the label 'Daggett'," he scrutinized the cream drying on her side, "And I think you should, too,"

"He got FDA approval this time,"

"Did he now?"

"Yep," she sealed the small jar and slipped it back into the container under her bed, "He's split the human chemical division from his company to focus more on the LexCorp stuff he acquired. Technically, it's now 'Powers Cosmetics',"

"Run by that Derek Powers kid?"

"He's actually only a bit younger than you, but yes,"

Again Goren's head shook, "I don't like the look of him. And you're one to talk about calling someone 'kid', Kim. Batgirl? Last I checked, you're a grown woman. When will _she_ grow up, too?"

She shot her father a withering look, "Papa," she replied, "It's not the name. It's the identity. The persona. You know that," She nestled under her bedsheets and straightened her shirt back, "Besides, I'm barely 20 and still don't know what to do with my life," her head dropped back onto her pillow, "I still feel like a girl,"

"Will the name change come when you are honest with your boyfriend? Running around on rooftops and dipping out of dates… if you really care about Curtis, you'd tell him… And maybe stop the late night patrols with Robin?" Kimber could almost hear her father's eyebrow arch in suspicion, "Don't think I don't know about that. Workplace romances are common… even in _un_common working environments,"

Kimber smiled to herself, happy she had at least some secrets from her dad still. She shifted and rolled onto her side, showing her back to her father, "Good night, Papa,"

"You didn't even brush your teeth,"

She affected a yawn and did the customary shoulder shuffle as she burrowed deeper into her covers, "I love you, too," she cooed. As an added measure, she smacked her mouth a few times and sighed constantly, "G'night,"

"You'll have to be honest one day," he warned, "But good morning, Kim… I'll talk to you later," He took one last look around her room as more memories of her childhood washed over him, "I love you, daughter. Get some rest," he flicked off the light and exited.


	11. Part 1: Chapter 11

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Curtis blindly waved his hand about for a towel and after a few seconds of flailing, his hand found the warm and fluffy cloth and he quickly patted his face dry. He drew the towel away and looked at himself in the mirror. Some stubble was starting to come in under his chin. He'd shave in the morning.

Satisfied with his washed face, he placed the towel back on the rack and exited the bathroom. As he passed through the exit, he flicked off the bathroom light, exchanging it for the bedroom light. A repetitive bead of light caught his eye and he drew his phone out from under a pile of clothes. The haphazardly placed pile partially collapsed to the floor and Curt sighed in defeat. He'd clean that up in the morning.

He slid his index finger over the screen and a few unread messages popped up. His eyes scanned each one to see how important they were. He'd missed two texts from a family chat he'd been unwillingly placed in. _Ignore._ A rather short text from his dad asking how things were. He'd respond in the morning. A response from Dick about how things were going between him and Babs. _Cute._ But one message demanded a bit more attention: A picture message from Mawk. _Curious._

Curtis swiped up on the message on the notification bar and smiled. It was an image of Mawk and Mereena, both smiling. Mawk was in a tank top and basketball shorts sitting in his office chair and hunched over a desk while Mereena sat in the foreground holding the phone with her tongue out and her fingers throwing up the peace sign. Unlike Mawk, she was dressed to party. The nearly oversized coat was high fashion… at least according to Mereena, "Seems I wasn't the only busy bee tonight,"

Curt began to respond but caught himself. The message had been sent a few hours ago. No doubt the two friends were no longer together and Mawk was probably already asleep. The man had an essay to write for his class and apparently he'd been bitten by the procrastination bug. Either way, he'd respond in the morning. That could all wait; right now, he was dead tired.

Curt slid into his bed and pulled his warm covers over himself and sighed with satisfaction. Long day followed by an even longer night? He was happy to relax and drift off to sleep. He closed his eyes and mentally set himself up to enter the resting trance Bruce had taught him when he first joined up.

A flashing bright blue-white light washed over the room and disrupted Curtis from sleeping. He groaned in protest but opened his eyes. His computer screen continued to flash blue-white. Tiredness fled from Curtis and he quickly peeled himself from behind his covers and got to work. He could go to sleep later, this could not wait until the morning.

* * *

"What do you make of it, Dr. Palmer?" Batman hovered just over the doctor's shoulder, intrigued at Palmer's various diagnostic equipment.

"As I've said before, Batman, it's like nothing I've ever seen. The microsystems are amazingly simple… and yet I don't understand any of it. I'll have to do a deep dive and follow the switches and pulses to even begin to see how it all works," Dr. Palmer looked at Batman, "But I'll have to work with it in my lab. Will you allow me to take it?"

Batman eyed the strange clump of alien machinery, "Can you ensure its security and safety?"

"Integrity of samples is my top priority," Dr. Palmer stood erect and raised two fingers, "On my honor as a scientist. This is too good an opportunity to let it go to waste,"

"Take it, Dr. Palmer," Wonder Woman's voice filled the BatCave's inner sanctum as she approached on the air, "Batman and I have something to take care of anyway over the next few days. We will catch up with you in the coming days," her feet touched down on the earth next to Batman and she gave him a slight smile, "Batman and I trust you,"

The doctor nodded at Diana and turned to the Dark Knight, "Thank you both. You won't be disappointed. My testing suite is top of the line. I'll crack this thing in no time," He looked over Batman's shoulder and waved hesitantly at the figure standing inert against the cave wall, "Uh, Fate? If you could be so kind as to-"

The helmet of Fate on Inza's head, once dulled and inert, pulsed a bright golden glow and the eyes flashed white. Her head snapped in his direction and the eyes flashed again as she spoke, "I hear you," she spread her arms wide in an esoteric manner and a golden ankh materialized behind her, "I will transport the Atom to his laboratory. Until next time, Batman,"

The golden symbol evenly moved forward and absorbed first Dr. Palmer, then the mass of the DarkHeart fragment, then finally, with a final over the shoulder glance, Dr. Fate herself entered the golden void. There was a feeling of static in the air and both Batman and Wonder Woman could feel the hairs on their necks tingle ever so slightly. Then there was an extravagant flash of light and silence; the two were alone in the BatCave.

"I assume you got enough rest last night?"

Batman stared at Wonder Woman blankly, "Of course I did. A solid five hours of stage five. The most refreshed I've felt in days,"

"Good," she sang, "Then you wouldn't be opposed to some decorating then?" She moved her hands and for the first time Batman noticed Wonder Woman had been holding a box behind her back. She presented it forward.

Batman gave her a suspicious look, "Pardon?"

"We have something set up for the next day, or have you forgotten already?"

"I thought you said that was a joke," He gruffed back, "We have a League meeting later in the day and I have a shareholder meeting with Daggett and Lucius regarding LexCorp's few remaining subsidiaries. Busy day,"

"Batman,"

"I'm also expecting some information from Dr. Stone regarding Cadmus as well as the woman, Director Waller. Both Kimber and Curtis are unavailable until the hour before the meeting and I do want to go over a peculiar case of mass disappearances overseas with them,"

"Batman!"

Batman looked back to Wonder Woman. She drew out a string of foil-colored hard paper letters and the face she was making, he knew she meant business, "This is something we have to do," she flew up to one of the industrial supports crossing the main chamber and began pinning up the letters.

Batman read the letters as she hung them, "'Welcome League'? Diana, that sounds ridiculous,"

"If you have a better idea for a greeting, I'm all ears," She pinned up the final few letters then swooped down back to Batman's side to take in the sight.

The multicolored metallic letters stood out against the blue-grey walls of the natural cave but were almost as easily overwhelmed by the immense spaces and walls that framed them. It was almost laughable how small the letters seemed hanging there and Batman was sure that had Kimber been there, the girl would have been amused enough to giggle and the absurdity.

"A bit small, don't you think?"

"Like I said, if you've got a better idea, I'm all ears," She pointed each index finger straight up at the side of her head mimicking his cowl, "But that's not all I've got," She playfully pulled the mask off of Bruce's head and pointed to a second box against the wall, "I bought some string lights we can set up over the Med Lab and I have a great idea for a screensaver image you can set on the Batcomputer…"

The Amazon continued to gush out ideas and Batman just shook his head with a slight smile that surprised himself, "Fine, let's see how much we can get done in an hour,"

* * *

Mereena stealthily slunk past the final guard and settled through her open room window, floating softly to the surface floor. As she casually swam to her bed, she removed the garb she'd used to cover herself. The enchanted long coat dropped in a heap to the floor and then she carefully stripped off her specially crafted Leviathan scale armor.

Each piece of armor that came off she carefully placed back on the mannequin in her room. When the wooden facsimile of herself was fully decked out in the scaly green-black body armor that had become her hero uniform, she took a step back and looked at it with satisfaction, "Perfect,"

She turned from her armor and floated on a more subtle current to her bed. As she went, her feet brushed the soft kelp-reed rug and its fibers ticked the bottom of her toes. She settled onto the bed and swept her hand over the fabric of her sheets. With a guttural whisper, the covers disappeared and reappeared overhead, floating down.

Mereena laid on her bed and let the drifting sheet settle over her form, closed her eyes and waited.

…

_Knock, knock._

She shuffled a bit loudly in the bed, "Who is it?"

"Mereena,"

"Oh, Mother! Come in!" as she answered, she jostled her hair, just for good measure, "Come in!"

Queen Mera unlatched the door and swung it open. With confident steps, the queen of Atlantis entered her daughter's room, "Mereena,"

"Hey," the princess waved and let her eyes blink lazily and out of sync, "What's up?"

"_Mereena,_" her mother's tone carried a heavier tone.

The girl rolled her eyes and corrected herself, "Hello, Mother,"

"Manners, Mereena," Queen Mera warned, "Don't forget who you are and what stock you come from,"

"Apologies,"

"Accepted," The queen nodded then strode more around the room, "Did you sleep well?" She looked at her daughter's open window and drew it shut with the wave of her hand, "Can't imagine it was comfortable with the draft,"

"I was so beat," she forced a yawn and stretched into a real one, "I didn't even notice. Current must have been warm,"

"Yes, must have been," Queen Mera mused, "I have a meeting with the Justice League this evening. Just a few hours from now," She sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, "While I'm gone, Tula will be coming by,"

Mereena sat bolt upright. Now she was awake, "What? No!"

"She's been falling behind in her studies at the Conservatory of Sorcery and her mother's asked for you to help her catch up. I said 'yes, of course Mereena would be happy to help because that's what leadership and being a queen is all about'," she gave her daughter a stern look, "Service to Atlantis,"

Mereena glared across the room, "But Tula's such a… a… ugh, a drag"

"I know you two don't often get along, but she needs all the help she can get with magic and water kinesis and you're one of the best Atlantis has! Besides, you should make some friends your age and -,"

"I have friends my age," Mereena protested.

Queen Mera looked at her, lips pursed, "Friends in Atlantis," she clarified. The tone in her voice clued Mereena in that this issue was not up for discussion or debate, "If you are to become queen of Atlantis when I hand over rule, you will need powerful ties with the noble families to ensure confidence and support. Tula's mother was there for me when your father… passed. She supported me immensely. This is the least we can do to show our thanks,"

She stood to leave and smiled at her daughter, "Hey, keep your chin up. If you can teach the archer some magic then you can teach Tula, too," she winked and closed the door.

"Ugh… lame…"

* * *

Bruce and Diana marched down the entryway to Wayne Enterprises Gotham's front desk. Standing at the large round oak table, a man stood in waiting: Lucius Fox with his hands folded. He gave a grandfatherly smile that added to the creases on his cheeks and waved pleasantly at the two.

As the power couple crossed the spacious lobby of Wayne Enterprises Gotham, a few employees stopped and stared. Though many knew that Wonder Woman was now a semi-permanent fixture to Bruce Wayne's arm and life, none of them had ever _actually_ seen the two together in person, much less at the building that bore the Wayne name.

One of the more bold employees, a security guard, verbally greeted his employer's girlfriend directly, "Morning, Ms., uh, Wonder Woman," He sheepishly waved to the powerful Amazon, "How are you?"

Diana tilted her head at the man with the thick Jersey accent and gave him a genuine smile, "I'm fine Mr.," she glanced at his nametag, "Conner. How are you?" She stopped walking with Bruce and turned to face Conner.

Conner scratched the back of his head nervously, "I'm fine, Ma'am,"

Her hand went up in protest, "Please, call me Diana. I'm not at work, I'm just accompanying Bruce to his,"

Her surprisingly disarming demeanor put him at ease and Diana noticed he seemed to melt a bit into a more relaxed, but still alert, stance, "Well, I don't know about calling a guest by their first name-"

"I insist," Diana replied quickly, "If Bruce has issue with it, he can take it up with me,"

"I'm still not-"

"Are you afraid of me, Conner?" her face darkened slightly and Connor could see she was actually hurt at the possibility of his answer being 'yes'.

"Diana!" Bruce's rich baritone called out from across the hall before the flustered security guard could respond. Both parties looked to Mr. Wayne and saw him beckoning his companion to join him as he and Fox waited for the elevator, "Let's go!"

"Looks like I'm being summoned," Diana looked back at Conner, "Have a wonderful day, Conner,"

Diana only got a few steps away before she felt a human hand grab her shoulder, "Wait!" she looked back at Conner and he tentatively removed his hand from her shoulder then continued, "Look, I'm sorry but you do still scare me. I know it's been years since the Justice Lords and I've read all the press releases about you and the new League. I know you helped stop that end of the world stuff last year with Batman an' Robin, and for that I'm grateful. But I don't know _you_. You're fighting for the big picture and that's grand, but if that had happened during the Justice Lords, wouldn't you have done the same thing anyway?"

Diana looked at the man in a bit of a shock. He was right. As much as it pained her to admit it, he was correct. Though her intentions were one hundred percent altruistic during the Near Apocalypse, to any cynical layperson it would completely be expected that she'd rush to save the planet. After all, _if_ she wanted to rule the world, the world would have to still be worth ruling. She nodded, understanding his perspective, "Thank you, Conner, for your honesty,"

She walked away from Conner and approached Bruce. As she got closer, she threw on a false smile as she still struggled with the raw feelings within, "Going up?"

Bruce and Lucius made room in the elevator for the Amazon princess. Once the three were inside, Lucius hit the button for the top floor and the doors closed.

* * *

Daggett sat in the simple black office chair and gazed over the Gotham skyline. Tall, angular buildings loomed high over the streets. From up here he could barely make out the Gothamites below, each one scurrying around their daily races in the shadows of Gotham's imposing infrastructure.

"You know, Ollie, when my folks first moved here with a heap of nothing in their pockets, they were intimidated by the buildings. Even back then the people were dwarfed by the success and achievements of greater men," he paused and looked down at one red car in particular as it swooshed between two pedestrians jaywalking to catch a yellow light, "Do you think it bothers them?"

Oliver Queen stopped spinning in his chair long enough to respond, "I would definitely think it bogs down on people to be surrounded and dwarfed by giant buildings that block out the sky. Can't be healthy, either. S'why when I built my company's headquarter building, we built out, not up,"

Daggett continued to stare down at the multitudes below, "It drove my father to build a better life for us. Drove me to build a better life for myself. Why do you think they're not doing the same?" Something orange caught his eye and his vision adjusted to look at his reflection. A tuft of his hair had popped out of place, "For heaven's sake, this gel just isn't working for me, Ollie,"

Oliver just sighed and spun one more time in his chair.

A _ding_ captured their attention and the elevator doors hissed open. Bruce, Diana and Lucius strode into the room catching Oliver mid spin. Diana giggled at her secret teammate's apparent lack of respect for the board room, "Having fun, Mr. Queen?"

Olive caught the edge of the table to stop himself abruptly from spinning, "Fashionably late, like always, Bruce," He looked at Diana, "And I see you've brought a guest along for the ride,"

Bruce nodded, "Diana's here as a witness to the meeting. Legal requirements. You understand," he smiled sweetly and put both his partners at ease, "After all, it's not every day that tech titans discuss what to do about the R and D departments of LexCorp. Final days for the former president,"

Bruce and Lucius sat at their respective seats across from each other at the two ends of the boardroom table. Roland rolled his seat to the large table and clasped his hands together. He looked to Diana and made a face when she didn't take a seat, "I hope you're not planning on having this lovely woman strongarm us into deals we wouldn't otherwise take,"

Bruce laughed, "Not at all. None of us even know what Lex had hidden down in his basement. I'm sure we all will have plenty of assets and patents to trade between our three companies. Though I would like to remind you, Roland, that you already own the majority of LexCorp property, physical and intellectual, through Powers' little pet project. Oliver just wants a peek under the hood and you _did_ promise me that I'd get my fair share of playtime in the Basement,"

Oliver raised a pair of finger guns and winked, "I'm just here to look at the pretty possibilities, Daggett,"

The elder businessman sighed but all the same, he opened his black briefcase and withdrew a plane green folder, "Alright, here're the goods," he slapped the folder on the table casually and flipped open the first page, "I was thinking about putting it all on digital and using Bruce's fancy new 3D projection system, but with how sought after LexCorp's IPs are, I decided the old ways were best," He slid a stapled sheet of paper to each seated member.

Bruce drew the paper to himself and Diana arched over his shoulder, "So that's how he did it," he muttered to his companion. He thumbed over an item listed off to the side of a rather ornate diagram, "Here's a patent number for a discarded rocket-powered boot. Similar enough to be a precursor to the rockets he used in his power armor,"

"Likely," Diana whispered back, "Though that's not my area of expertise,"

Bruce raised his eye to Lucius and the two long-time friend's made eye contact and nodded: they both found interesting items listed under LexCorp's R&D holdings. Bruce only now wondered if they'd seen the same things. A quick glance to Oliver and Bruce could see the archer in disguise was still perusing the listings. _Back to Daggett, then, _"Alright, Daggett, where do you want to start?"

"Page one is always a good starting point," Daggett grinned back, "At the tiptop there you see Lex's R&D had a main project underway. If I'm understanding Mercy's notes correctly, this is some sort of fuel-injection engine. My boys in legal already have the paperwork underway for this engine. Going to plug it in to my factories in China. Ms. Graves promised me the engines are one and a half times more efficient than market standard,"

"Oh that's fine," Oliver flippantly waved his hand, "I'm more interested on the junk on page two,"

Daggett flipped his page back and nodded, "The lightweight bulletproof polymers? As much as I was hoping to hold on to them, I admit I have no business use for them," he inwardly cursed.

"Oliver, we're not even finished with the first page," Lucius gave the blond an impatient look, "Don't you think it's unfair to read ahead?"

"Look, I've got a government contract coming up and WayneTech's already got some of their own stuff in development! Monopoly's no good for business! Let me have this!"

Lucius raised both hands defensively, "Alright, alright. If Bruce has no issue and Daggett has no objection, I won't interfere," He set his glasses back on his nose, "I see here a type of rocket boot? There are a few technical notes here and one mentions incomplete specs up for grabs,"

"Go ahead. One of my engineers looked over the design and noted a number of flaws that violate a bunch of physics laws… at least as we know them. You folks may have more use of them. May be able to miniaturize them, too," He scrolled down the page, "You know, Diana, I invited Bruce to a private gathering tomorrow,"

"Really now?" Her eyes dropped to Bruce's shoulder and she added some pressure to the hand she'd placed on his shoulder, "Strange. He hasn't mentioned it,"

"Yeah, shot your boy-toy a text yesterday. Said he has something already set up some sort of get together. Something you've planned with mutual friends?"

Diana stifled a surprised gasp, "Well thank you, Roland! I had no idea Bruce was looking forward to it so much," She tightened her grip on his shoulder and smiled sweetly.

Bruce buried his nose behind his crossed fingers and continued scanning the stapled document before him, "Lucius, do you see anything else on the first page you feel WayneTech would desire?"

The older African-American gave a knowing smile, "I sure do, Mr. Wayne," he chuckled, "I know a few in MediSearch that would love to get their hands on the dual centrifuge. And if you could throw in item number 4425, it'd be much appreciated," He gave a warm, grandfatherly smile.

Daggett looked down at the two listed items and nodded, "I had a feeling your medical division would want that thing. I can sign off on that one today with no issue but the other item? We may have to have a lengthier discussion about it in a follow-up meeting,"

Lucius looked back to Lex's patent for the flexible and light-weight fireproof fibers. _If we review the chemical makeup, I'm sure we could get it to work well enough with our own light military vests. The next batch would be sure to impress the folks at the Pentagon… and perhaps at a discount to undercut Mr. Queen,_ he chuckled to himself then caught Bruce, with Wonder Woman hovering over his shoulder, eyeing the final page of the document. Then he thought to his employer's nightly 'activities', _Or perhaps move forward with a prototype cape design that's more fire resistant than his current outfit..._

* * *

Curtis drifted from one class to the next with little attention. His lack of attention in his classes was uncharacteristic and a few of his professors even asked him if something was wrong. "I just had a rough night last night. That's all," is all he said. And it wasn't exactly a lie. Between essentially teleporting to Nevada, breaking into a black site government base to steal alien hardware, escaping a clone of Superman and then meeting a new 'hero', he _did_ have a rough night.

But none of that contributed to his distracted state. He'd even gotten enough sleep over the night. No, something else was on his mind and he couldn't wait to get home and further extrapolate the data. He'd only have about half an hour before Kimber would pick him up and they'd be on their way to the 'Cave, so he'd have to work quick.

His pocket vibrated just a few minutes shy of his class starting. Curtis slips out his phone next to his thigh and checks. Another message from Grayson. He'd sent the first Boy Wonder a snippet of the data and while Curt was quickly learning Dick was never one for computers, the fact that he'd created a group chat with Babs led Curtis to realize who the real tech guru was of Batman's first partners.

"Hey Curt," the message read, "Ive put Babs 'n you in a chat. Shes better at that sort of stuff,"

Curt kind of cringed at the lack of punctuation but all the same, recognized text messaging wasn't exactly meant to be fine art.

"Hi Curt!" Barbara Gordon began her message, "I checked out your data. Needs to be cleaned before I can compare. Very raw. Can you do that?"

Each sentence came in its own message. He put thumb to phone screen and replied, "I can after classes, yeh," he swiped back, "I thought it would be a good starting point for you but I guess I should have let my algo roll over it a bit more," He mused to himself on Barbara's skills.

He'd helped her build her PC a few months earlier with top of the line Wayne, and Bat, tech stuff. A more user-friendly version of his own personal computer. Apparently she was still getting her fingers wet with the system.

Another message to his phone, this one not from his Dick and Babs chat. Inza. He opened the message just as the professor entered. He glanced at the clock, _One minute._ His eyes went back to the phone and he read Inza's message, "Your mentor has invited us to partake in a combat tournament, Curtis rolled his eyes, "I regret to inform you we will not be available for the next few days,"

Curt huffed and quickly sent back, "Hey, are you wearing the helmet and texting?"

Inza's response was delayed, "No,"

"Nabu,"

"Yes?"

Curt stifled a chuckle: she was texting while wearing the helmet. Nabu's awkward and archaic writing always shone through even in texts, "I told you not to do that. It's weird,"

"Relay the message to your mentor, Robin,"

_And secret identities be damned, I guess. _Curtis swiftly deleted the last message just as one of his class friends settled into the seat next to his. He closed his phone and 'dapped up' his friend just as the professor started the lesson.


	12. Part 1: Chapter 12

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Kimber pulled up to the street by Curtis' apartment. Once she was in 'park' and had pulled the parking brake up, she fired off a text to her boyfriend letting him know she'd arrived. Then she waited.

She scrolled through her phone idly checking her one social media account, "Wow, Shandon got ripped!" She double tapped on an image and an overly muscular girl expanded on her screen. She looked over her former classmate's profile and nodded approvingly of the young woman's progress, "She really wants to become a bodybuilder. Good for her,"

Kimber scrolled some more and a post by another former high school classmate caught her eye: Darren posting more thug bullshit.

_"Can't no one f wit me. No one step to me. No one rep like me; _

_'Cuz I jive wit' nines smoother than the Lawton man. Wanna know 'bout me? Check the streets I ran; _

_Mutants beg me, Jokerz want me but I don't need 'em far's I see; _

_Cuz I crash modes like I'm made o' speed an' I live by my own creed," _

Kimber recoiled in disgust. Between the try-hard lyrics and the gangbanger picture attached, she found herself somewhat terrified for him.

Darren was from a middle class Gotham family. His mother was a work from home mother and his father an overworked accountant for Thorne Enterprises who'd narrowly missed being laid off years ago when Rupert Thorne had been under investigation. If they knew all their efforts to support their son and keep him out of the more… impoverished areas of Gotham resulted in him still embracing the 'live fast and die young' mentality of gang lifestyle, Kimber was sure they'd be broken.

She looked over his image again and sighed. He honestly looked like a thug that wouldn't hesitate to pull a gun on her and shoot. And she wouldn't hesitate to rip the gun from his hand and slam her elbow into his nose. But hey, that's Gotham.

She sat for a bit more with her thoughts and rubbed where she'd been shot over a year ago subconsciously, "Where are you, Curt?" She glanced at her phone screen, "We're gonna be late,"

After a few more minutes of waiting, Kimber was about to turn off the car and storm upstairs to Curtis' apartment when he finally emerged from the lobby with his phone to his ear and a particular skip in his step. He flung open the passenger door and slid into the seat, his face brimming with excitement, "Hey, babe!" he gave Kimber a quick peck on the cheek then put his phone on speaker, "Say 'hey' to Babs,"

"Hey, Barbara," Kimber buckled herself back in and shifted the car into drive, "How's it going?"

"Going great, Kimber. How are things on your end? Staying out of trouble?"

Kimber snorted, "More like keeping others out of trouble, if you know what I mean," she responded, "Heading to a work meeting with Curtis as we speak," She spun the wheel and caught a yellow light by a hair, "What about you? What's got Curt all excited?"

"He thinks he's figured something out that your boss has yet to unravel. I helped,"

"She did more than help," Curtis watched a car blur by then looked back at his phone, "One of my algos wasn't quite finding what I wanted in the data set I was using, but she checked through my code and found a few variables that, with the proper tweaks to their values, would narrow down the info in the way I was looking for. A few decryption runs later, and boom!" He held up a folded piece of paper.

"And what's that?" Kimber glanced at it from the corner of her eye.

"Just call it a slight exposé," He put it back in his pocket and grinned, "Trust me, the boss is going to freak out,"

Kimber gave him a skeptical eye, "Barbara? Just how much is he blowing this out of proportion?"

"Actually, not at all," the former Batgirl replied, "It took him less than a night to find the data and transform it into something workable. Called the process something like 'ETL'," she paused as if referencing notes, "A few terabytes of info parsed on my end then him transforming the results thirty minutes ago and he actually got the info he was looking for," she paused again, "It was kinda cool,"

"Babs, I'll catch up with you later," Curt cut the conversation short, "Give Dick a holler for me,"

"Sure thing, Curt. Hope you both visit soon,"

Curtis hung up the phone, "This is incredible, Kim. You can't believe the treasure trove of info I was able to glean,"

"From where?"

There was a mischievous glint in his eye, "Where do you think? They were so busy attempting to purge that site that they didn't exactly lock their data down completely. While I was waiting for you to finish loading up the Flying Fox with the DarkHeart fragment, I was able to copy over entire terabytes of data. A lot of it was useless without the proper buffer bits, but what I was able to fully capture will definitely help us get a better grasp on the group,"

Kimber felt her heart drop a few levels, "Jeez, Curt… Are you serious? That place was a black site! Some sort of government installation buried in the desert and you just 'copied' info from their servers? Do you have any idea how reckless that is?"

"Ah," he held up a finger of correction, "The data was already in transit, I simply piggybacked on their loose signal, rerouted a duplicate stream to a different government satellite, and then set it to torrent to my computer through a number of proxies. I'm not silly enough to connect directly to them!"

"My point still stands, Curtis!" she gripped the wheel tighter in an effort to disperse the anger she felt without blowing up on her significant other, "You torrented private and sensitive government data using the Flying Fox to your personal home computer, _during a mission._ Are you fucking nuts?"

"We really have to work on your language, Kim," Curtis frowned, "There are other expletives in the English language,"

Kimber ignored him, "Why didn't you just wait until back at the BatCave? The Batcomputer's security suite is leagues beyond whatever primitive VPN and antivirus your comp hides behind! What if someone traces that data to your house? You think they won't notice their data's been duplicated? What if a government spook shows up at your apartment? Or worse! What if they trace it to you _through the Flying Fox_ and realize _you're Robin_? Bet you didn't think about that, did you?"

Curtis was silent a moment and Kimber let the weight in the air rest on him a bit. _He was so focused on what he could do, he didn't consider if he should do it._ She shook her head and bit her lip, "For Hera's sake, I don't want you getting into that kind of trouble. What would we do without you? What would I do without you?"

She pulled up to the final left turn before the private road up to Bruce Wayne's manor, "You're my partner in all of this… Both as Batgirl and as Kimber. We take risks every night we go out, sure; but what you did was too much of a risk..." She turned on the green light and drove up the driveway, "I just hope it was worth it,"

* * *

Azra'il crashed into another room, a hapless ninja pinned between his armored shoulder and the heavy solid wood door. He had no sooner regained his footing when a barrage of arrows were fired his way. Automatically, he ducked his head behind his arm and felt the sharpened heads bite into his armored flesh.

But it did not hurt. Instead, he felt the god-beast within him channel that pain into fury and power. He uncovered his head and opened his mouth. Flame leapt from his tongue and consumed the archers that had dared shoot at him. As the fire died from his mouth, he spoke, "Your master is defeated! His progeny dead and his right hand cut off! Without Ra's al Ghul, you have no head! Accept your defeat with honor that your deaths may be quick!"

"So long as our master lives, we will not be swayed!" From the encompassing darkness a red-clad foot struck Azra'il across the face. The loyal ninja skid to a halt and faced the meta menace, "You kill with borrowed power. You desert the one who gave your purpose and you fight to extinguish his flame of the future!" Her thick accent made her words seem even more harsh, "I know you are the brute who's been slaughtering my brothers and sisters across the East," she made a fist, "But your fire is but a soot-filled orange. Our master's flame burns pure white. So long as the head lives, we are strong!"

Azra'il raised his blade then pointed the tip at her. In the darkened room, the fires ravaging the monastery reflected menacingly on the silver of his blade. A stream of energy arced from the tip to her and she nimbly rolled forward under the attack. Once she had her feet back under her, she swung up with her blade in an attempt to bisect Azra'il. However, the demon-angel was ready for her.

He caught her blade in his hand as one would catch a lazily swung cardboard tube. With a twist of his wrist, her sword shattered in two and he drove the shard he held into the surprised woman's shoulder. He kicked her back and away from him.

She screamed in pain as her now free hand went to her injured shoulder. She tugged at the bloody shard jutting out of her ruined shoulder but due to the double-sided edge, she couldn't get a good hold on it that wouldn't also slice her fingers. As she fumbled with her shoulder, she scrambled back on her legs to get away from Azra'il, however, a growing sensation of heat halted her progress. She glanced behind her and mere feet away was a wall of flame.

"Weak, cowardly fool,"Azra'il approached her, "You seek to scatter like the cockroach you are. With your defeat one more step to wiping Ra's al Ghul's failure from the Earth will be taken," He lifted his blade to the heavens.

"My master will be the death of you," the ninja spat back.

"No. He won't," Azra'il's blade sang down.

* * *

"A fighting tournament? Tomorrow? Y'all really in such a hurry for a whoopin'?"

The Justice League sat around the large round table in the Montana-based Watchtower. Green Arrow stood behind his chair with his arms crossed and a thoroughly pleasant smile behind his mustache and goatee. His eyes were set on the man sitting two seats to his left.

"You really think you could take me on, Arrow?" Superman tilted his chin at the Emerald Archer. He allowed a playful grin to tickle his cheeks but did his best to prevent his smile from looking too goofy. It was difficult.

"Hey, if the Bat thinks he stands a chance against you, I don't see why I couldn't as well. Besides, I started my vigilantism during the Justice Lords hoping to take a shot at you. Looks like I'll finally get my wish,"

"I, for one, agree with the archer," Queen Mera swiveled in her chair to face Superman, "I would like to get my hits in as well," She looked at Green Arrow standing across from her and smiled in solidarity. But Green Arrow did not reciprocate.

Superman shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The impromptu challenge was initially to be nothing more than a friendly competition between comrades, but with the Atlantean Queen's very obvious disdain, the fight could very easily become more than just jovial sparring, "Just to remind you all that there _will_ be brackets. Not everyone would be fighting me," He gave a nervous laugh.

Arsenal laughed, "I'd hope so! G. A. may think he's got a shot, but I have no such delusions," he leaned onto the table and aimed a finger-gun at Zatanna, "But you, ma'am, I've always wondered how good of a fighter you were,"

Zatanna stuck her tongue out at the lad, "Well, you're going to have to keep wondering. I'm just observing and that's it. Snacks and refereeing: that's my gig,"

Arsenal's finger drooped.

"That's alright, buddy," Black Canary rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "If you want an ass-kicking, just pair up with me. Ted Grant taught me how to fight the best way he knew how. I'm sure you'll be fine,"

Batman spoke up from his secure line. He and his charges had not attended the meeting in person, rather they'd joined remotely with only Wonder Woman coming in from Gotham, "For those who wish to participate, send your names in to Wonder Woman. She will build the brackets for tomorrow and send out information on how to get to the cave,"

"No way, we're having this in the BatCave?" Arsenal's smile only grew wider, "This is such a good day!"

* * *

Batgirl took the results print-out from the printer tray and took them to Batman. As she walked, she read over the sheet and sighed. Though Curtis had put himself heavily at risk when he torrented the Cadmus site's data, his gambit had paid off. Now not only did the Bat-Clan have a clue as to who, or rather _what_, Cadmus was. And the answers weren't pretty.

"I have to hand it to you, Robin: this is good stuff. Extortion. Torture. Secret prisons. Gene splicing. Espionage. Their rap sheet is as impressive as it is long," She listed off a few bulletpoints from the printed summary just as Batman cut the call with the League, "I'm surprised you never knew about this, boss," she addressed her mentor, "Seems like rooting out secret societies would be your forté considering…" she gestured around the lair.

Batman snatched the paper from her, "Seems that crackpot was right," he murmured.

"Crackpot? Who?" Robin looked at Batman.

"An informant and detective. A conspiracy buff paranoid enough even I'd consider him crazy," He finished reading the paper then flipped the page, "And this?"

"For a secret government society, they aren't very big on obscuring linked data. You wanted to know who Waller was, well, some of her achievements weren't hard to find once I grabbed her first name. She was a public figure for a few years in past administrations up until Luthor's presidency. Er, she was kept on retainer by President Luthor for a time before…"

"Before the Lords?"

"Before the Flash died," Robin sheepishly corrected, "She vanished soon before that. From what I can tell, she was let go. May have been a nasty termination but those are records and files I'll never be able to get,"

Batman replied quietly after a moment of reverent silence, "The Flash was murdered by 'President' Luthor," The title that should have carried more weight and respect came out as a sneer from Batman's lips, "This number at the bottom?"

"Her home phone number, hopefully at least," He nervously rubbed his upper arm, "My computer's not as nimble as yours but I was able to dredge that up, too,"

"What you did last night, gathering this data, it was foolish and reckless," Batman's voice was low and eerily calm, "You're well-versed in computers so you know just how easy it is to miss one breadcrumb and leave a trail to where you are. That you managed to get away without repercussion is a testament to your skill and skill alone. You will _not_ do this again,"

With the final words given, Batgirl felt her cheeks burn. She felt embarrassed for Robin. On the ride in, she'd read him the riot act as well, scolding him out of her love for him. While she didn't understand the ins and outs of what he'd done, she knew the consequences could be dire. How many times had they traced criminals down using their online activities? But Batman _knew_ this stuff. He was the best, and for him to chastise Robin so heavily and so severely… it was the first time she ever saw Curtis squirm.

"Not from your computer, at least,"

The addition from Batman came at a surprise to both college kids. Robin had looked away in shame half way through Batman's short diatribe and the Bat's face had been the sourest he'd ever been on the receiving end of; and that was counting Batgirl's near-death experience just over a year prior. However, Batman's face now was more remorseful and… soft? The hard line that so often was his mouth was more curved and relaxed, the muscles on his face were not as rigid and behind the snarling cowl, Robin could tell Batman's brow was not as heavy.

"I'm giving you both unfettered access to the Batcomputer's full system. Not just the external terminals and the main desk, but the peripheral equipment as well as root access to subsystems that permeate the BatCave as well as the BatWave," He looked up and at the massive main monitor of the supercomputer beneath Wayne Manor as his fingers danced across the keyboard, "I know what you did and I have an idea of how you did it. Batgirl recognizes what you've done as well as the risks you took. She knows what you did and she has a good enough handle on how you did it. But unlike her, I know _why_ you did it on your own rig,"

Batgirl looked at Robin. His head was still held high and she could see his confidence returning, like a membrane that had been struck snapping back into place. She looked to the Bat.

He pointed to her, "Explain it to her while I update both of your profiles," Batman turned back to the computer as he further modified security procedures, "And remove your few backdoors,"

Robin blushed at his mentor's acknowledgement of his system hacks and turned to Batgirl, "I couldn't relay the signal to the Batcomputer because I didn't have the authorization to pipe unknown data into the BatWave. Not data of that magnitude, at least. They were sending the data and we were so close! Both ends were encrypted but-"

"...but the signal itself was the weakest point," Batgirl caught up to Robin's reasoning, "You couldn't wait 'til you were at the 'Cave because the transmission would be long finished and the data secure… and you couldn't send it to the BatCave either because we didn't have the root access the boss is giving us now…" She felt a tickle of a smile in the corner of her lip, "You had one shot so you trusted in yourself and took it,"

Robin nodded, "It was reckless," he glared at Batman slightly, "But it wasn't foolish. It was a calculated risk. That rig is the descendant of the rig that avoided your careful eye,"

"Delayed," Batman corrected, "I found you when I cared to take a more careful look. You'd better pray they don't have anyone as technologically literate as me on their payroll,"

Robin reclined against a cave wall and, for the first time in what felt like hours to Batgirl, smirked. It put her at ease and she gave in to the tickle at her lip allowing a smile to spread below her helmet.

"Hey, it's me," Robin replied cockily, "Besides, who on Earth is like you?"

Batman cast a look over his shoulder to the defunct interdimensional portal gathering dust in a musty corner of the cave. He wondered sometimes how things were going on the other side. He wondered sometimes if there really was an 'other side' or if there were really multiple more possible alternate realities there were. _Questions for another time,_ he pointed to his two charges, "Gear up. Meetings are over,"

* * *

The currents were warm and calm. Bioluminescent lights were cool and therapeutic. A pod of whales moaned from an unseen distance and further still the low telltale vibration of a nuclear-powered submarine's engine betrayed its position to those sensitive enough to sense it. It was a wonderful night, a beautiful night even. And she was stuck within the palace walls with the bleached coral that was Tula.

"Did you see that? I did it better this time!" Tula hopped in short little spurts clapping her hands together in excitement. The pillar of solid water collapsed the moment her celebration started and it washed away with the rest of the ocean.

Mereena sighed. Tula's insistence on celebrating every minor accomplishment was quickly eroding her last nerve. Right as Tula spun to face Mereena, the princess washed the face of boredom away and replaced it with faux excitement, "Great job, Tula!" She tried her best to not sound condescending, "Now do the technique again and concentrate on it passed the formative phase. Try to sustain the form for at least half a minute,"

"Right!" Tula spun again and splayed both hands out, concentrating hard at forming another column of hard water.

Though the two were close in age, born within months of each other, Mereena's skills vastly outpaced Tula's. It was part heritage and part skill. Mereena was naturally a curious girl and as such read just as avidly about magic and hydrokinesis as her mother. Though she wasn't able to grasp nearly as many concepts as her mother, she was still on track to be more powerful than Queen Mera and perhaps become a Magus Queen on par with the rulers of old.

Tula on the other hand came from rather impotent stock by comparison. Mereena recalled reading about when the ruling families of Atlantis were quite powerful. Now the nobles were more plentiful, having attained their status through political means rather than actions. She kind of wished that wasn't the case. Then she wouldn't have to waste a nice night tutoring one of their kids in what was, to Mereena, water-forming 101. Another sigh.

Tula waved her hands and appeared to shiver under the mental stress as another column of hard water formed before her. This one was more put-together than the last and managed to straighten itself rather than wobble, "He-Hey! How 'bout this one?" Tula called back to her tutor.

Mereena nodded approvingly, _Finally, Tula's moving forward, _she resisted the urge to use her own abilities to utterly destabilize the column and crush Tula's spirit. As funny as it would have been to dash Tula's overexcitement, it would have also extended the session. So she just clapped, "Very good, Tula!" she carefully managed her tone, "Will that be enough to pass your next exam?"

Tula let the column dissipate and lowered her arms, "I think so," She spun and faced Mereena with a beaming smile, "Thank you so, so much!" she clasped both her hands over Mereena's and twirled her around, "You're a lifesaver, Mereena! I don't know what I'd do without you!"

_You'd embarrass your family, _Mereena answered in her head. She was just about to force another response when a blessed interruption came through. Queen Mera and Tula's father both floated into the empty court with bright eyes and practiced smiles.

"Glad to see you two getting along so well," Tula's father said. He reached for his daughter's hand, "I hope she's not giving you any trouble, Mereena? Tula can be such a cod!"

Mereena forced a laugh, "I'll bet!" she lied, "She's a quick and eager learner! It was my pleasure to help her further her potential," She nearly gagged but she'd quickly learned that navigating royalty meant never speaking your mind. Ever. And from the nod of approval her mother gave, she'd answered correctly.

"That's wonderful to hear, Princess!" He took his daughter's hand and the two floated towards the exit hall, "I've arranged a schedule with Queen Mera for more of these session,"

"Not too many more!" Mereena let a bit of negativity slip but she caught herself as the words tumbled out, "Otherwise she may outpace me!" She flashed an apologetic smile to her mother who only gave her a warning glare.

"Ha! She just might!" Tula's father winked, "See you tomorrow, Mereena," he turned to Queen Mera and politely bowed, "Your highness," And then they were gone.

Mereena breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally, I thought she'd never leave," She sank to the marbled floor, "You're back from the Justice League early,"

Queen Mera brushed the back of her hand over Mereena's cheek, "Yes, the meeting was short enough. And there was an invitation to a sort of… fighting tournament extended to all members along with honorary and reserves, such as the Grayson man,"

Mereena looked at her mother expectantly. Her eyes spoke volumes and Queen Mera knew exactly the question her daughter wanted answered, "No, you are not a reserve member nor an honorary one," she folded her arms, "But you did what I asked and for that I thank you," She bowed at the waist and planted a delicate kiss on Mereena's forehead, "I don't see the harm in bringing you,"

"And competing?" she asked, hopeful.

Queen Mera's smile drooped a bit, "We'll see,"


	13. Part 1: Chapter 13

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Oliver stood on the balcony of the Watchtower and gazed over the Montana landscape. It was one of the few externally facing facets of the hidden complex but it provided the most glorious view. Even as dark as it was late at night, the wilderness did not disappoint. The dark green of the large trees blended in well with the blues and shale colors of the distant rocky mountains. In the distance, a few nighttime birds made their presence known to the world.

But Oliver wasn't looking at the grounds: he was looking up. Overhead the blue-black ocean of the sky was dotted by hundreds upon hundreds of stars. Like pinpricks of light, these celestial bodies were silent and seemingly eternal witnesses to the story of Earth. The red-purple band of the Milky Way stretched overhead as well, wide and imposing.

"Mind if I join you?" Wonder Woman's voice caught the archer off-guard and he scrambled to replace his mask, "Don't bother, Green Arrow," she put him at ease, "I already know who you are. The need for secret identities is lost on me," She stood against the railing and looked over the untainted grounds.

"I know. But, if it's all the same to you, I prefer to keep the mask on when talking business," Oliver's reply was coarse, "I may not be one for ceremony, but it's something I've grown accustomed to," He replaced his mask but left his hat off and held in his hand, allowing the soft wind to comb through his golden hair, "What can I do for you, princess?"

"I just came out here to relax, that's all," Diana replied, turning her gaze up to the stars.

"Swear on your lasso?"

She gave him a funny look, "You're not the only one who enjoys nature, Green Arrow,"

"Alright, fine. I'll buy it," he looked back up and she likewise returned her eyes to the stars above.

They were quiet for a moment before Diana spoke again, "They're really beautiful, aren't they? Like jewels hanging in the dark giving of glimmers of heat and light,"

"Yep. 'S why I come out here when we meet late at night. It's a sight I don't get to see too often in Star City. And I bet it's even more rare for you folk in Gotham. What with your red skies and perpetual industrial smog layer,"

"Gotham's skies have been relatively clear as of the last few years," she remarked, "Nothing like this, of course, but there have been a few so-called 'green bills' that have made it through the city's bureaucracy. Really brought the industrial sector up to code,"

"No more red haze?"

"No more,"

"Huh,"

The two heroes stood in silence for a time. Diana rested against her arms on the railing as she peered deeper into the shadowy woods. Oliver continued to stare up as he twirled his hat on his finger, whimsically whistling a jaunty tune that seemed a response to the insects chatting up the forest mountain floor.

Diana peeked over at Oliver, "Everyone's gone,"

"I know. I just wanted to glimpse the sky if that's alright with you, your Highness,"

Diana nodded, "Of course," She bit the inside of her cheek, "So... about Mera,"

"I knew it!" Oliver slapped his hat multiple times against his head in frustration, "I freaking' knew it! You wouldn't stay back after everyone's left the Watchtower just to 'look at the sky' or 'watch the stars' with your ol' pal Green Arrow. No, there _is_ an ulterior motive! I should have went with my gut and kept my mouth shut,"

The Amazonian nodded her head to the side and stifled a giggle at the archer's outburst. He was such a character, "I've spoken with her about you and I know your last date wasn't that… great,"

"What date? She stood me up like I was some sort of chump! I was lucky she set the date in Gotham. Star City tabloids would have been all over that," He clenched the railing, "But I've also been talking with Dinah, so it's not a total loss. I've just… prioritized the ice queen a bit less,"

"She cares about you, Ollie," Diana slid a bit closer to Oliver, "She's just worried for her kingdom,"

"What? She think I'm gonna try and take over if we start dating? Try to enforce some rules?" He laughed, "Well joke's on her; I don't even like running my own company. What makes her think I'd want the responsibility of running a kingdom?"

"You're jumping to conclusions, Green Arrow," Diana elbowed her companion, "She's not worried you'd take over, she's worried about-"

"Me being a surface-dweller? Well, that's racist. I think," He rubbed his chin, "Definitely at least xenophobic. But it's good to know that her feelings are easily rebuffed by politics,"

_Is he actually sour about her? Sure seems like it,_ Diana sighed, "You just have to be patient with her. She's got a lot on her plate. Atlantis returning again to the surface-world's stage, the reformation of the Justice League," _Arthur's death_, "She's a matriarch and he has to feel in control. You're not exactly one to be controlled, Green Arrow,"

"No I'm not," he agreed, "But then I have Dinah. We hit it off well and she's been at least _there_ when I'm there. She doesn't come with the baggage of a whole country watching her every step, just a younger sibling who thinks the world of her. I can't just crush her like that,"

"And who do you like between the two women, Mr. Queen?" Diana pointed the question directly to the man beneath the mask. Both women had a thing for the archer, that much was certain, but what were his feelings on the matter? "You make it sound like you owe Black Canary your affection because she has feelings for you. Nobody, woman or otherwise, enjoys being a pity date, I will tell you that much,"

"And just how would you know what it's like to be a pity date, Ms. Cheekbones?" Oliver fired back, his wit as sharp and quick as his reflexes.

"I don't," she conceded, "But I know a young man who's had his share of pity dates in the past,"

"Robin?" Oliver's eyebrow raised in skepticism, "High doubt, Diana. Robin's as cool as I am. There's no way someone like him would have such poor luck with the ladies,"

Diana laughed, "Think back to your teen years, Green Arrow, and strip away the money and the prestige. What would you have left? Who would you have left?" Though she meant it in jest, she instantly saw her words had cut him deeper than she'd intended. Perhaps too much self-reflection wasn't a good thing right now. She reached out to him, "Oliver, I was joking,"

"Go," It was the shortest sentence she'd ever heard the man utter, "I'm sure the Bat misses you,"

Her hand wavered a few inches from Green Arrow's padded shoulder and then retracted, "I'm sorry, Oliver. Insult was not my intention. Discard my last words but think on what I said about the two women. Whom do you love? Be honest with yourself," She pushed off of the railing and entered the Watchtower. Just before she closed the door, she looked back at her comrade in arms: he was still staring up into the stars.

* * *

Batman and Robin glided over another gap between buildings in Gotham's bowery. Below them, a group of thugs ran seemingly for their lives. Another jump, another landing. Both men hit the ground and picked up their stride. As they ran, Robin couldn't help but notice his footing was on beat with the Dark Knight, "Slowing up, boss?"

"Hardly," The two cleared another building in sync, "Just want to make sure you don't get lost,"

"Was that a joke?" Batgirl's voice came over the comms in their cowls, "Did Batman just make a joke?"

"I think so,"

"No," their mentor growled, "It's an honest concern. If you don't believe me, I can pull up the treadmill endurance tests from last month,"

That shut both Batgirl and Robin up.

"Now if it isn't too inconvenient, let's round up the gang below us,"

"Right-o," Batgirl chirped back and her radio went silent.

Batman and Robin stopped at the edge of their building and peered down like solitary gargoyles watching the group of you people dip into an abandoned complex. The leader of the troop pried open one of the boards and ushered her followers inside. As the last man rushed in, the leader looked all around the street then up into the air. Confident that she'd led her people in a clean getaway, she slipped into the building herself.

"You're up," Batman spoke to Batgirl.

"Gladly,"

* * *

From within the abandoned building's rafters, Batgirl watched the small group of Mutant gang members mill about. They were aimless and purposeless, just seeking to cause chaos. One of them unzipped their fanny pack and pulled out a wad of cash.

"Ain't got much, but this dough should be 'nuff to take us primeside,"

Another member ripped the wad of cash from his hand, "Reality check, spud. This only 'nuff for one maybe two mutants, I figure,"

The first member snatched back the bills, "I'll be one of the two, I figure," he gritted his teeth and the two young men slammed their heads together, either giving ground.

"You think your leader's squeeze? Leader likes me!"

"Leader take you for out back for challenging me, spud,"

The three remaining members stepped away from the two men challenging each other as the leader continued staring out the window, obviously not caring about the outcome of the fight destined to take place.

_These guys are absolutely nuts, _Batgirl shifted on her haunches to wake up her stiffening muscles and whispered into her helmet, "Two of the guys are about to fight over the leader's affection… I think. Should I let it happen? May be one less to deal with,"

"May be one more casualty," Batman reminded, "This group's killed two tonight. Sweep them,"

"Got it," Batgirl cut comms again then slid a bat-a-rang from her belt. There was one source of light in the cramped area: a frail lightbulb swinging from a fraying bare cord. The easiest shot. She coiled her arm then threw the bat-a-rang. It tumbled through the air and cleanly smashed through the light, plunging the room into darkness.

"The light buggin', man!"

"Cripes, bulbs blown! Figure Manning would kill the light for an edge!"

Batgirl's nightvision function within her helmet triggered as she heard blow after blow exchange below. She watched with morbid curiosity as the two mutant members fought and tumbled below. Both apparently thought the other had been responsible for the extinguished light, _Idiots._

With cat-like grace, Batgirl descended with her cape at full spread. She hit her first target before she even touched the ground, her feet crashing into the shoulders of one of the gang members observing what little the trickling moonlight allowed to be seen of the fight. She felt the shoulder beneath her boot pop as it dislocated.

"What was that?" One of the Mutants looked to where Batgirl had landed and caught sight of something that seemed to swirl like a black liquid.

Batgirl dropped low and crossed the room, twisting her hips in one direction and her shoulders in another. Her cape swirled around her giving a hypnotic liquid-sort of effect. The Mutant didn't even have a moment to scream before Batgirl's fist was in his solar plexus. He was lifted from the floor for a short time and he dry heaved, gasping for air.

"It's a Bat!" The leader called out, "Ace it!"

Gunfire erupted from Batgirl's right but the bullets plunked harmlessly into the sturdy concrete wall behind Batgirl. They were aiming well above where she as and it took no time at all for her to cross the room and disarm the final fight observer. With a quick sweep of the leg and a short jolt from her electrified gauntlet, the girl was out.

As Batgirl stood, she chucked the gun she'd taken off of her last victim at the leader. The hefty metal clocked across the leader's jaw and she dropped her firearm in shock. Her hands went to her face as she held her aching jaw, "Manning! Floyd! Handle it! Victor gets Leader,"

Batgirl heard a commotion from behind her and spun on her heels. A blur of dark brown and she raised an arm on instinct. The wooden board splintered against her forearm but the wielder wasn't too put off by this and tried to thrust the now broken piece in his hand into her stomach.

Batgirl grabbed the makeshift weapon with one hand and used her other hand to slap it from his grasp. He howled as the rotted wood dragged some splinters into his palm as it left his grasp. A quick right cross and he tumbled back just as the second swung what looked to be a collapsible baton for Batgirl's head.

_Cute. _She recalled a similar encounter a little over a year ago when the Mutant gang was still growing out in Star City. She didn't need to worry then and she didn't worry about it now. She stood still and stared at her attacker as the hollow metal smacked into her protected dome and snapped in two.

Instantly, the bravado and daring held within the Mutant member's heart fled alongside the color in his cheeks. He dropped his broken weapon and held up both hands as Batgirl approached, "Now, don't take this wrong, Bat. Was just a bit of fun, you know? Acin' those three. No big,"

_Three? _Batgirl frowned but advanced.

"Here!" He held up the cash from his fanny pack and threw it at her, "Take the dough and go!"

Batgirl rushed forward, gripped the thug by his shirt, "No," She fully spun around and threw him against a boarded up window. The boards were weak and he easily smashed through the barrier and tumbled onto the sidewalk. Still conscious and still terrified, he staggered to his feet to make a quick get away but within that moment, Robin dropped from the sky and enveloped the man in his cape.

Batgirl approached the leader, "Looks like I'm the victor. I get Leader,"

The leader looked out the window into the cold eyes of Robin then at the shadowy figure of Batgirl, "Don't step!" she warned the two, "I got a hostage!" She drew a gun and pointed it at Batgirl. A moment later, she realized the folly of that plan and opted for a new one: she held the gun to her own head, "Take one more step an' I blow her brains out!" she smiled a fractured smile.

Batgirl and Robin exchanged uneasy glances. From his belt, Robin drew a bat-a-rang but from his position on the street and through a window, it wouldn't be an easy angle. Batgirl contemplated a smoke grenade, but this was a new one. Never before had she seen someone take themselves hostage.

"Don't come any closer!" the leader spoke again, but this time the voice was different. It was timid and scared and the lingo as well as cadence so associated with the Mutant gang was completely gone, "Don't! I think she's serious!" Her eyes now bore terror and they darted to the gun at her temple.

_Never a normal night in Gotham, _Batgirl ditched the idea of the smoke bomb. More than likely they'd have to let her go and catch up with her later in the night. She could already hear sirens. The leader felt her back run into a door and, with her gun still pointed to her head, used her opposite hand to feel blindly for the door's knob. She never found it.

Two powerful dark arms broke through the rotted door to the surprise of all. One hand ripped the gun from her grasp then met the other in front of the young woman's body, pulling her out of the doorway and into Batman's chest. The girl struggled against her captor but her hands were held fast and there was nothing she could do to free herself. Eventually she stopped struggling and Batman cuffed her with zip-ties.

"Nice work," Batgirl began zip-tying the remaining thugs as Robin zip-tied his mook on the street. Soon they had a nice and neat line of Mutant gang members bound and ready for the approaching police. Just as the first squad car rounded the corner, Batman and company zipped up to the rooftops and out of sight.

From the ledge, the three watched as a few officers loaded the Mutant gang members up in two squad cars. A third more distinct car, unmarked, rolled up.

"That's Papa's car," Batgirl murmured, "I wonder what he's doin' out here,"

The last gang member was loaded into a squad car and the chief of police exchanged words with one of the police officers. After half a minute of conversation, he split back off from the scene and approached his car, still talking. He leaned against the driver side window of his car.

"Usually he'd be swamped in paperwork and it's not like these were some supervillains," Batgirl checked her heads-up display, scanning for any supervillain activity. Nothing, "And there's no reports of one in Gotham, thank Hera,"

"You're spending a lot more time with Wonder Woman than you realize," Robin murmured.

Batgirl was about to respond when her helmet beeped. Her heads-up display displayed her father's picture, "He's calling me…" She looked to her boss for clearance and when he gave an approving nod, she answered and shared the call with her companions, "Chief Goren," she answered with her Batgirl tone still in use.

"Really need a better way to get a hold of your boss," Goren replied just as professionally as his daughter, "Gordon said there used to be phones set in place for conversation and that after the Justice Lords fell, those lines were disconnected. Think you could get those back up? I don't want you to start feeling like Batman's secretary,"

Batgirl stayed quiet, silently fuming as Robin muffled his laughter with his shoulder.

After a moment of silence, during which the Titanic Trio watched Goren pace uncomfortably near an alley a few feet from his car, Goren Lee spoke again, "I'm at your most recent handiwork, I think. Are you still in the area?"

Goren waited through another moment of silence then heard her voice again, "Yes," But the response didn't come from over the phone, but from over his shoulder.

"What the hell!" Goren jumped and his hand instantly went to his service pistol. The phone clattered to the concrete and his other hand went out to further put a physical barrier between himself and what startled him, "I swear you're going to be the death of me," His hands dropped from his weapon and to his knees as he caught his breath.

"Chief," Batman was the first to speak, "You're not often out and about, is something wrong?"

"I've got a rookie for a ride-along. Usually I'd divvy it out but I like to show the men I can still get my boots dirty, if you know what I mean. Keeping the edge," He jerked a thumb over to the stranger in his unmarked police car, "Medical picked up the two this group of Mutants killed by the subway entrance. It's bad,"

"You need to look for a third," Batgirl interjected, "A short interrogation of their leader should reveal details about the final victim,"

"She won't answer our questions. You know Mutants… And their leader is something else,"

"You have me on speed dial, Chief," Batgirl answered, "If she won't answer to you, she will answer to me," For emphasis, she lowered her head in an attempt to stare down the police chief.

Even though he was a good few inches taller than Batgirl and knew who she was under the visor, Goren averted his eyes to the side; but when his gaze caught Batman's even harsher, soulless eyes, he opted at just looking into the sky and shoving his hands in his pockets, "The gang war between the Jokerz and the Mutants is ramping up. The Mutants seem to come from the junkyards and out of city while more and more buildings in the Narrows are taken over by the Jokerz. Rumor has it that Joker himself's taken control of the gang, getting messages out somehow from new Arkham,"

"What makes you think that?" Robin asked, "He doesn't seem to be the kind of criminal desiring to lead an army,"

Batman answered, "He's tired of being ignored. His last crimewave barely broke news outlets and we wrapped it up quickly. Few injured. No casualties. No laughs. Even during last year's event he was sidelined for more dangerous threats such as Ra's, Scarecrow and Azra'il,"

"That makes about as much sense as he can make," Goren nodded in understanding.

The radio chirped in Goren's car, "_Looks like we've got a 10-54 off Bob street,_"

The kid in the passenger seat unlatched the walkie and replied, "Which Bob street? Gotham's got at least three,"

"_Bob street, Old Gotham,_" dispatch replied.

"Sounds like the night's still young for terror," Goren turned back to where he'd left the Bat-Clan, "But you're all gone already. On your way to the next case," he whispered a silent prayer, "Stay safe, daughter,"

* * *

"Another body?" Batgirl scrolled through a digital police feed on her gauntlet seeking any more info on the 10-54. The code meant possible body so it was just as possible that the body was still alive and just a doped up transient passed out, But this was Gotham; if the body was still alive, and that was a big if, the person would probably be a victim of an attack.

"Old Gotham is a good distance from here," Batman said, "You and Robin take the Batwing and investigate,"

"What about you, boss?"

"There is someone I have to visit," With no further words of explanation or instruction given, Batman stalked away to the corner of the roof and dropped to street-level. The screech of tires a second later revealed to his charges that the Batmobile had been on standby.

"Where do you think he's going?" Robin asked.

"Somewhere he's needed, obviously," Batgirl rolled her eyes, "Now can we go? You're the pilot,"

"Yeah, yeah," He keyed in the code for the Batwing and within a few minutes they were airborne, "You know," he called back to her from the pilot's chair, "You could easily learn how to fly this thing. I can teach you,"

"Yeah, but then I'd no longer be chauffeur-flown around the city and I honestly love that,"

The Batwing screamed over the city as the duo raced to the scene of the crime. Batgirl looked out the canopy to the streets below. Even though they'd left a few minutes after the call'd come in, she could barely make out a familiar, unmarked police car with lights blaring racing down the highway. They would beat her father there with time to spare. She settled in her seat as she reflected on the sheer speed of the Batwing, "ETA?"

"One minute," Robin replied, "I'm going to lower us down so we can eject and drop. Then it will raise up into the cloud cover," He was already making the necessary adjustments.

Batgirl nodded, more to herself, and braced for the ejection, "Let me know when,"

The Batwing lowered itself carefully for a few seconds then Robin spoke, "Now,"

The canopy slid forward and both seats bounced up as the safety harnesses retreated. Both Batgirl and Robin felt the wind at their cheeks and instantly they spread themselves wide, activating the gliding mechanisms in their capes. Their fall shifted into a controlled glide and they soared on the wind the few remaining blocks to where a purple car was parked.

Robin was the first to tilt his shoulders to the vehicle, dipping down for a landing. With a dramatic 'whoosh', Robin touched down first and approached a man standing just beside the car with a worried look on his face, "You called in the body?"

The man looked at Robin in surprise, "The Boy Wonder! Ye-yes, I did!" he shakily pointed off the street into an overgrown gutter, "Right over there. My car was having some engine trouble so I pulled over to check it out. That's when I saw the body out of the corner of my eye,"

Robin looked at the man blankly then looked off the street and down the slight incline to the supposed dead body. _Engine trouble yet his hazard lights aren't on nor his hood up,_ he thought to himself, "Did you figure out what's wrong with your car?" He faced the man again and gave a slight nod to the car.

"I didn't get a chance to look!"

Batgirl dropped down on the driver side of the car so quietly the man did not notice. She caught Robin's nod and slid her hand over the hood of the car quietly and felt heat. She raised her palm and nodded her head.

_Better safe than sorry, _Robin lamented that he had to second guess the man, but this _was_ Gotham City. Never could be too careful, "How long would you say you were stopped here?" Robin asked.

"Not long at all!" the man protested, "Please, won't you check on the body? It's not right for someone to be there all alone,"

"I agree," Robin turned from the man and started down the slight decline to the body. He stepped up to the body slowly, his eyes roved the prone figure seeking out any hint of life. No rise or fall of the torso. No twitch of a limb or subtle groan. Robin stooped by the body and put two fingers to the fallen man's neck, "No pulse,"

He gently rocked the body to the side in an effort to see the chest but when he was sure there was no gaping wound on the chest, he set the body back down and checked the man's pockets. After a few nervous second checks, he admitted to himself that there was no wallet on the man. As a matter of fact, there was nothing other than lint in the man's pockets.

"You're going to have company soon," Batgirl piped up in his year, "Chief Lee is pulling around the corner. Hope you'll have something for him,"

"You're coming over here?"

"Nope. That's all you,"

With no other option, Robin inspected the face, "Adult Male. Between mid-thirties and mid-forties, leaning more to early forties. Of Asian descent; likely Chinese. Indentation on his face hints to glasses but," he glanced around, "I don't see any nearby,"

A screech of tires alerted Robin to Chief Lee's arrival, "Fine, I'll have Alfred do a check," The tech in his cowl snapped the best possible shot of the man's face and sent the picture to Alfred. He stood just as Goren and his ride-a-long rookie slid down the short decline to the body.

"I should have expected you'd beat us here," Goren elbowed his companion, "You owe me lunch next shift,"

The stunned young man said nothing. He just numbly nodded, mouth agape.

"Medical is on the way but they've had a busy night with the gang war skirmish across the city. Body still in the same place, right?" His tone was more serious with the question.

Robin ignored the chief's questions, "Adult male of Asian descent. Probably early forties with bad eyes," he stooped again and pointed at the dead man's left hand, "Probably recently divorced as well. Skin is lighter where the wedding band would be but the skin isn't soft or clean like it would look if it were recently removed," He stood back up, "No wallet, keys, or identification short of a biological profile,"

"Any idea what did him in?" Goren studied the body, "I don't see any blood splatter on the ground or his clothing,"

"Not yet," As Robin spoke, a readout from Alfred pinged into his ear. A swipe of his gauntlet and he was reading over the report the BatCave's A.I. had prepared based on facial recognition, _Another question is 'where was he killed?'_ As he read the information, an address caught his eye. With another flick of the finger, the address was shared with Batgirl, still hidden.

From her vantage point upon the nearby defunct street lamp, Batgirl watched her father and the rookie mill about the body with Robin, both completely oblivious to her presence. A third officer arrived on a motorbike and was taking a statement from the citizen who'd made the call. Her helmet buzzed and the address from Robin popped up on her heads-up display, "You want me to check it out without you?"

She watched Robin cross his arms and tap two fingers against his bicep: a silent 'Yes'.

"Alright. Ring if you need me," She rocked on her heels and fired a line to a nearby building. The grapnel gun accelerated its pull and she slingshotted over the edge of the building, transforming into a glide.

As she soared over Old Gotham's unique architecture, she read aloud the details Alfred had retrieved, "Name: Harold Chen. Recently divorced Forty-two year old. Nice guess, Robin. Employed by LexCorp's robotics division in Metropolis. Seems as though he was on vacation in Gotham according to a few social media posts," She dipped her glide then opened the cape up again to catch the updraft she created, "Address is for one Monica Harmon, his cousin married to Douglas Harmon; both in their fifties,"

She released the glide and fired her grapnel gun to the side to change direction. The address was still in Old Gotham so the potential murder location wasn't far from the dump site. Even so, Old Gotham was like a city unto itself. Massive and convoluted in planning. It would take another few minutes before she'd reach her destination.

As she popped out of another accelerated grapnel boost, her thoughts drifted to Batman and she wondered just where he was right now.


	14. Part 1: Chapter 14

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth) **and then Act 2 **( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar ) **if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

She emerged from her in-home gym looking like something out of an eighties workout video parody. Cotton candy colored spandex hugged her body tighter than she was comfortable with. The bright blue leggings complimented the pale pink leotard worn over. She hated the pastels but it was the only one available. She would wear something else during her biweekly exercise sessions but honestly this breathed the best. And that was saying something.

As she walked down the bare hall, she wiped the back of her neck with her slate gray towel a final time then tossed it, and her three matching gray sweatbands, into a discrete wall receptacle. The sweat-drenched towels would be automatically washed and replaced in time for her next session. A session she would not be anticipating.

She entered the kitchen and wiped her wet palms on her wide hips before turning the handle of the sink and washing her hands thoroughly. As she scrubbed her hands for the requisite thirty seconds, she glared at the four security monitors between two overhead cabinets.

The first showed her front gate. It was a rather cloudy night but there was still enough light that the nightvision function of the camera had no need to be on. She watched as an armed man, smartly dressed, patrolled the wide driveway and closed iron gate. At the end of every path in his small route, he would check nearby bushes and trees for any trouble. A waste of time in her opinion, but they were paid to be thorough.

The second screen displayed the front of her house. A man stood before the doorway, dressed just as professionally as the first guard. This camera had better lighting and she could see even the man's face was covered by high-tech sunglasses. Cradled in his arms was a light submachine gun. A prototype from the ever-reliable Queen Industries.

The third screen showed the parlor of her home. The parlor led to the foyer and this camera, on a swivel, captured both easily. Though a squad of private guards patrolled the outside of her home, no men patrolled within her home. There was only one main entrance to her home and there was a guard posted up outside that door. Even still, she demanded a camera be placed on the other side of the door just in case. Any other person would have called her paranoid, but the people she worked with easily understood.

The final monitor showed her garage. Two men, one noticeably larger than the other, stood at ease with their hands resting on their holstered weapons. They seemed to be talking. Whatever got them through the night.

She flicked her hands free of residual water and then drew a pair of paper towel sheets from a roll and dried her hands. After drying them, she shut the water off, using the paper towel as a makeshift glove. One last glare was cast at the four screens and she moved on to the smoothie maker.

As she moved, she clicked the radio on and a stream of news poured from the speaker, "In the Caribbean, the San Boccaro volcano shuddered again last night for the fourth time in the last three months. This sent ash billowing from fissures for miles that settled in the later parts of the morning. Geologists predict an eruption could occur anytime within the next month to even the next week,"

The woman flared her nostrils and started up the smoothie maker. She filled the container with various fruits and vegetables then hit 'blend'. The sound of the blades drowned out the dour report and for a moment the mansion was just noise

The sludge was done. She took the container from its base and poured herself half a glass of the sweet-smelling mixture. It was thick and lumpy but the smell almost beat out a Dougal's Dairy Deluxe smoothie from McDougals. She put the glass to her lips then gagged. The taste, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. She pinched her nose with one hand and down the mixture in a final duet of gulps.

Minutes later she was in her bathroom stepping out of the constricting exercise outfit and prepping the shower for use. Heroes in tights had returned over the last year in full force and still the same question remained in her head: how did they stand those skin-tight outfits?

A warm fog billowed from behind the shower curtain: the shower was ready. First, she stepped on the bathroom scale, "Hm, lost six pounds," her voice almost surprised her. Almost. She stepped off the scale and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her physician placed her on a routine of diet and exercise and her place of employment enforced it. Far be it from her to deny her job its requirements. However, she did feel like she was losing some of her identity. She was overweight, that could not be denied, but along with that came a sense of power and presence. Confidence. When she stepped into a room, everyone knew. And it wasn't because of her weight or any sort of 'fat joke'. She was a wall in mind and will. Her physical body only mirrored this fact. Besides, she also couldn't deny the allure of steak and ribs every once in a while.

She stepped into the shower and began to lather. A quick shower before bed always did the body good. She got behind her ears twice and the soles of her feet as well. Every nook and cranny of her body she scrubbed clean. Perhaps she could shed an extra half a pound with the sweat and dirt from exercising washed off.

As she rinsed her body, some soap slipped into her eye from her hair. With a silent curse, she shot her hand from behind the curtain and flailed desperately for the nearest hanging towel. She couldn't reach it. _I knew I should have put it one rung closer. Always so worried about it falling into the toilet-_

Her thoughts were interrupted as a towel was placed in her hands. A towel was _placed _in her hands. Shock overrode her stinging eyes as both flew open and she violently clutched the curtain back enough for her to see the intruder but not enough to reveal her overabundance of flesh.

Standing in her bathroom was the Batman. And he looked angry.

"Get dressed," His was a commanding voice just like hers, "It's time to talk,"

* * *

He'd afforded her a moment to towel off and dress herself in a bathrobe. In the time she was alone in the bathroom, she contemplated alerting her security team but decided against it. Even if they were still conscious, which she highly doubted considering her guest's proclivity for stealth and violence, she didn't want him to have the smug, or grim, satisfaction of knowing he made her squirm. He'd gotten the drop on her; good play. But this interaction was far from over. She could still get a leg up on him. After all, she was the Wall.

"Get in here," she didn't ask him to come into the bathroom nor did she speak kindly. Neither of them were known for pleasantries. She finished tying her robe's belt as the Bat entered the steamy bathroom. He didn't even wait for her to finish before he began prattling on.

"Amanda Waller. Born in East Saint Louis. Rhodes Scholar and Phd in political science. Served intelligence for three administrations before disappearing from the public eye five years ago,"

It was all basic web search information and she made her lack of interest known, "Again, am I supposed to be impressed?" She took a powerful step forward, "Maybe I should rattle off your resume now, rich boy?" She could feel his glare increase. The infamous 'Bat-Glare' that caused many a hardened criminal to wet themselves in fear. She felt nothing. Instead she returned her own well-practiced frown and crossed her arms, reaffirming her position, "You know I could blow the whistle on you at any time, Mr. Wayne,"

He wasn't expecting that. She could barely tell she'd caught him off-guard. There were few ways anyone could catch Batman off-guard, but stripping him of his mythos and revealing you know just who he is under all the getup and gear was definitely one such way. But to her surprise, pleasure, and amusement, he met her step forward with an equally dedicated step.

He leaned over her slightly. It wasn't hard for him to dwarf her. He was an easy six-foot two without the combat boot heels and pointed bat ears while she was barely a few inches over five feet. "Fine," he growled, "Why don't we step into the light together? I'm sure the American people would be interested as much in your activities as mine. Secret weapons, illegal cloning experiments, bypassing Congress,"

_Enough._ She glowered at him. He had more info on her than he'd let on at first. Something a basic web search _couldn't_ retrieve. He'd been in the desert, that much she knew, but there was no way he'd had the time to take a look at their records. And his sidekicks she knew were with him for the whole time. How could he know about more than the clone? "What do you want?" she barked back.

"I want to know what you think you're doing,"

"Do you not remember the events that ended Luthor's presidency? And now you've started your vigilante club up again. We started to wonder what would happen if history were to repeat itself. Would we be ready? So I had my people run some computer simulations. If the new Justice League ever went rogue, what do you think would be the result?"

Batman reset his posture, "That's moot,"

She clenched her fist, "Humor me. Even with the Lantern and the Martian gone and more supposed humans than metas in your League, you beat us. Soundly. And I cannot discount that somehow you've traded one Thanagarian for another, more _militant_ Thanagarian. But those numbers were run before we ramped up Cadmus. From a thinktank operating under the Justice Lord's nose to a hidden organization funded by tax payer money, now we have the tech and the potential to defend ourselves,"

"Whatever it is your 'people' are planning, if you present a threat to the world-"

_The impudence._ "If _we _present a threat?" She raised her voice in emotion. She was the first to break the cool tone of the conversation with heated passion but it couldn't be helped. That he somehow saw himself _still_ as having the moral high ground after the Justice Lords fiasco was beyond reproach.

She pointed to the heavens with one hand, "Five years ago, you had a spaceship floating over our heads with a nuclear weapon pointing down!" In pace with her words she threw her hand to the earth below her feet, "Four years ago, seven of you overthrew the government after Superman assassinated President Luthor!" She thumped her chest with righteous indignation and raw patriotism, "_We're_ the good guys. Protecting our country from a very real threat: You,"

His eyes narrowed and his shoulders squared but she didn't care. She returned his steely gaze with her own steadfast and resolute frown. She may be paranoid. Any other sap who heard her talking would call her crazy; but she wasn't standing before any other sap. She was standing before Batman and she knew he was just as paranoid as she about unchecked power. She knew about the fight in America's heartland last year. Only a paranoid person would be that prepared to take down Superman at the drop of a hat.

The two stood, unmoving, for what felt like forever. The tension was an all-encompassing oppressive atmosphere and a few times she felt the inclination to step back just to feel something. But she didn't give in. The desire to take a step back was foreign to her because she was The Wall. She. Does. Not. Move.

After an eternity and a half, Batman turned away silently, his dark cape swirling like an aura of smoke as he went. In a smooth movement, he exited the bathroom to disappear to whatever hellhole he'd crawled out of.

As he slinked away, she pulled the phone in her bathroom off the wall-mounted receiver and dialed. She had a call to make. And some security guards to fire.

* * *

Robin watched the medical examiner from a distance side by side with Police Chief Lee. It had been awhile since he'd spoken with his girlfriend's father as his alter ego and it was something he was always dreading. The last time he'd been alone with the chief of police, the conversation had floated to much less professional territory. It was only a matter of time.

"So looks like Medical says he's been dead for about half the day but she can't find a cause of death. He has a burn over his left breast but that appears to be a past injury. A proper autopsy should give us a better idea; but if this is a murder, and it sure seems like it, that will give our culprit a massive twenty-four hour head start," His hands probed his pockets.

"Hm,"

"There were three of you earlier in the night, what happened to your two partners?"

"They're busy," He'd managed to sneak a peek at the burn just as the cavalry arrived. He wasn't actually looking at the medical examiner looking at the body. He was looking at the blurry picture his lenses had taken.

_The burn wound looks old, alright. But something about it is wrong. I need another look at it but there's no way. The skin looked puckered up like a healing burn, but-_

"You're not as talkative as you usually are, Robin. Everything alright?" Lee looked to the younger man in tights and a cape.

"I'm busy," Robin replied, eyes still focused on the body. If the Medical Examiner would just _move_ he'd be able to use the zoom function in his lenses to get a second look at the burn wound. The zoom function was very limited in range and even that was extremely disorienting, but if he could just get a second shot…

As if one of the multitude of gods had heard his desire, his prayer was answered and the M. E. stood up and wiped her hands on her pants then strode away to pick up a clipboard. In that moment, Robin zoomed in on the burn and snapped a picture. This one was much more clear and detailed on the wound. He reviewed the snapshot.

It looked very similar to an injury Batman had used to deduce the culprit of a string of murders in Washington state. The way it puckered was distinctly familiar, but what caused it? The case was three months ago and something about the burn clued Batman in to who it was… He wracked his brain to remember who Batman led him and Mightor against. Then it hit him. _Atomic Skull._

"I'd like to remind you that my daughter is in a relationship,"

_Here it comes_, Robin mentally lamented.

"Not that I don't trust you, you three have saved the city countless times and I appreciate it. Just… workplace romances and such, you know?"

For the fourth time that month, Robin weighed the consequences of telling Goren who he was and saving the elder cop future embarrassment. Again he decided against it. The fewer that knew who he was under the mask, the better.

"And the guy she's with, sure he's no superhero-"

_And I've had enough,_ Robin took a step back, "The burn isn't from fire but from radiation. He was killed by a radioactive blast to the chest. Batgirl is en-route to a potential location of death. She'll contact you when she's gotten something," He raised his hand and blasted his grapnel into the air.

"Where are you going?" Goren called out as Robin ascended.

"This is Gotham City, Chief," he responded, "There's always something happening,"

* * *

Batgirl slid down an angled roof and caught herself on the ledge. Across the street was her destination. A small, nondescript house with a front lawn, single car garage and a mailbox. Everything about it screamed 'small town' and yet it was sandwiched between an overstuffed apartment complex and a 17th century-style Victorian mansion. Old Gotham in a nutshell.

A quick scan of the front of the house revealed no foreseeable entryway. The rear would probably be better. Easier to avoid suspicious eyes, as well. She flexed her calves in preparation to jump. Batgirl rocked forward and jumped, but at the last second before she left the roof, she twisted and leaped backwards.

Batgirl's arms wrapped around a stalker and took him to the ground. Once on the ground, her left hand pushed down on the stalker's chest and her right was poised and ready to strike. But her fist fell slack when she saw who it was.

"Whoa, you are good!" Birdman's wide-eyed expression kind of got on her nerves, "I thought you were lost with all the back and forthing you were doing but then you lost me! Took be a good minute to find you again,"

"What the hell are you doing in Gotham?" She hissed as she helped him up.

"I wanted to get in on the action! I can't help if I'm in the middle of nowhere! Figured if I flew around late at night I'd run into at least one of you three,"

Batgirl grumbled.

"Look, I want to learn and I'm a visual learner," He flashed his practiced grin again, "You do your thing and I'll observe! I promise I'll be as quiet as a hummingbird!"

"Fine. Keep quiet," Batgirl used her line launcher to cross the gap from her building to her destination house. Once on the roof, she scampered over the crest and down the back half of the roof, landing in the backyard. Birdman touched down next to her with his eyes darting left and right.

Batgirl approached the back wall of the house and ran her fingers along each window, testing the locks. The second window had a peculiarly loose lock. The next step would be checking for an alarm. She turned to Birdman, "You want to help?"

He nodded.

"Fine. I need to get into this house without raising the alarm. There should be a fusebox on the outside of the house, probably closer to the garage. Find it and disable it carefully," Her instructions were matter-of-fact and clear.

Birdman gave her a thumbs up then took to the air.

Batgirl watched the man fly to search the sides and front of the house. As soon as he was out of sight, she went to work prying open the loose window. She probably had a minute at best before Birdman would come back with nothing to show for his search. As she pried open the window, Robin's voice chirped into her helmet.

"Batgirl. Our victim was killed by a blast of radiation. There's a burn mark on his chest that matches the burns from the Washington State case three months back,"

"I wasn't there for that," Batgirl reminded him, "I was working with Nightwing in Gotham,"

"I know. I'm telling you to be careful. Our armor can protect against fire, but radiation is a much harder beast to tangle against,"

"True," she stifled a grunt as she finally slid the window pane up, "But that also means I can find it. I'll need Wonder Woman or Alfred to load a new seeker profile in my helmet but can you send out for that? I have a… guest,"

"Wait, what?" Robin's voice carried disbelief, "Like a civilian?"

"More like an eager newb,"

Robin's laughter in response to her predicament made her angry, "Hey, buck up, Batgirl. This is just a fine time to determine how good a teacher you are,"

"Robin!"

"Don't worry," he dismissed her anger, "I'll get ahold of Wonder Woman. She'll load up the new seeker profile. Assuming you're looking for radioactivity, I suggest you don't head into the house until the profile is loaded. Without the geiger sensor, I don't want you exposed to what could be there,"

She heard a familiar whoosh of wings and didn't respond to Robin. The last thing she wanted to do was reveal her communication outside of the local area. After all, she'd already sent him on a wild goose chase so his suspicion of her motives would be high upon his return. And she didn't trust him. Why Gotham? Why all of a sudden?

"Batgirl?" Robin's voice brought her out of her mind, but she couldn't respond. Not directly, at least.

She sat on the window sill and waited for Birdman's touch down, "Welcome back," She greeted the wanna-be hero with little emotion, "I'm assuming you didn't find the fuse box?"

She heard her comm with Robin disconnect. He'd heard her greet Birdman and that was enough of a hint that their conversation was over.

"No, I didn't," He crossed his arms, "I hope you didn't send me away just to get rid of me," A slight pout formed just below his mask.

"Nothing of the sort," Batgirl turned from him and looked through the open window, "Turns out the sensors are just for show. No alarm system was set up. Was able to pop it open just fine," She swung her legs over the ledge of the window and slid inside, "C'mon," She gave Birdman no time to correlate his thoughts. As long as she kept his mind busy, he couldn't give her action much thought, "Let's check it out,"

He tentatively poked his head into the home, "Are you sure there's no one here?"

"Positive. The owners of the home are both away and the one man who'd be here at this time is not coming home any time soon," A notification on her heads-up display: Wonder Woman had loaded the seeker profile for her helmet's sensors. _Welcome back, Diana_. Batgirl activated the geiger sensor and already readings were coming back at close to worrying levels. She frowned.

"What's wrong?" Birdman looked around the empty house.

"We may need some help," she replied. As best she could, she fine-tuned the sensor to trace the largest amounts, but several areas peaked including where she stood. In frustration, she shut off the sensor for a time and prayed that her exposure would remain below dangerous levels till she found what she was looking for.

She was never that great at detective stuff; Robin was always more proficient in crime scene reconstruction. A lot of the time he would stoop down and survey the scene while muttering to himself strings of disconnected facts and assertions until eventually what had happened became known to him. The Bat had trained him very well and he already had that programmer's brain for figuring things out.

She switched on her helmet's detective mode and hoped the tech would pick up anything to even give her a starting point. She looked over the room she was in again: a well-furnished living room with furniture straight out of a 1970's catalogue. Shag carpet, multicolored brown rugs and corduroy couches. A wide screen television sat recessed in an old wooden cabinet. In different shelves of the cabinet sat pictures.

"What are we looking for, Batgirl?" Birdman's anxious voice reminded her of his presence, "Anything I can help with?"

"Actually, yes," she thought aloud, "Look for anything out of the ordinary. Anything undone or a mess. This house seems to be kept in order, at least these guest-facing spaces," She continued to scan the room carefully, her eye and the tech in her helmet seeking out every nook and cranny, "Search the kitchen. And fast. We aren't sure how long the home will be unoccupied,"

"Are you sure the person you're investigating was killed here?"

She looked at the deactivated radioactivity monitor and nodded.

"I'll check the kitchen and entryway, then," and he was gone.

_Well, hopefully his energy will be good for something_. She put a hand to her ear, "Robin," she hissed, "I'm having some trouble here,"

"'Sup?"

"I'm at the house and… radiation blooming everywhere," She wiped her nose as she took another look around the room she stood in, "But that's it. Nothing's been disturbed that I can see,"

"You checked the whole house?"

"Well, not yet. I'm still also playing babysitter to a man probably ten years my senior. I want to head to the bedrooms but in the living room, there are trace amounts of radiation at _very_ high levels,"

She could almost see Robin's 'pondering' face and she subconsciously smiled at her boyfriend's imagined expression. Adorable. Finally, he responded, "I hate to say this, but you'll have to follow the radiation whether or not your hanger-on is there. Tell them to leave if you have to,"

"The sensor isn't much good for tracking right now. There's so much radiation that even when I entered, the sensor was reading _we _were radioactive… Was that a punch? Where are you?"

"Jokerz," He grunted through another gang member, "Do you need me to come by?"

"No no!" She protested, "I got this. I'll give the sensor another shot," She flicked on the radioactive sensor, "You stay out there and save the night. With the boss doing… Batman things and me investigating Mr. Chen's death, Papa could use all the help he can get…" her voice trailed off as the radioactivity in the area now registered much lower, "I think I've got something," she said, "I'll call you in a few,"

She looked over the room. Whatever interference she'd encountered upon first use was now gone and there was a trail leading to the front door. She followed the trail to the source and as she did, she stumbled into Birdman.

"Oh, sorry!" He caught her in his arms and smiled apologetically, "Looks like we're both on the same track,"

She felt one of his hands subtly rub her arm in a less-than-professional way and she shot him a withering look, "Let. Go,"

Instantly, his hands fled from her and he gestured for her to lead the way.

"Touch me again, and I'll break your arm," It wasn't a threat: it was a promise.

"I'm sorry,"

She walked to the backrooms, now keenly aware of the untested man following her. There were three doors in the back that led to actual rooms. A fourth led to a simple broom closet. The first door led to a guest bathroom. Lightly outfitted with a toilet and a shower stall with a side sink and mirror. Nothing of note.

The next door led to the master bedroom. Nothing seemed out of place but again there was the radioactive interference. She pouted in frustration and smacked the side of her helmet in hopes that would somehow fix the issue. It did not.

Even with that setback she was able to make out some of path leading deeper into the room. She reached back and tapped Birdman's shoulder, "Go in and check it out. Let me know if anything suspicious comes up,"

"What do you see?" Birdman looked at her with an All-American smile tugging at his lip. She glared at him and he gulped, "I'm on it," She slid past her into the room, his wings somehow not colliding with either her nor the doorway.

Once Birdman was inside the master bedroom, Batgirl looked to the guest room. If Mr. Chen indeed had been staying with relatives, more than likely he would have slept in the guest room. She pushed the door open with one hand and it creaked wide enough for her to get a good look. Unlike every room in the house, this one was rather messy.

The bedspread was half on the floor like a waterfall of cloth and the chest of drawers was haphazardly half open with clothing spilling out of the containers like a madman. Mr. Chen was a laboratory worker and a lot of those men and women were clean to a fault. There was no way this was a Mr. Chen's doing.

She took a careful step forward and felt something twist beneath her foot. Mr. Chen's glasses. Another spot-on guess from Robin. He'd guessed that the man had worn glasses due to two indents on the man's flat nose, and here Batgirl had found said glasses. In the house. Cracked. But were they cracked before she'd stepped on the arm of the glasses or had her carelessness shattered them? She couldn't know and she cursed herself for not watching where she stepped.

She started up the sensor and smiled. Finally, the geiger counter was giving much better readings. Whatever had happened to Mr. Chen had happened in this room. She sat on her haunches and committed the scene to memory and then went to work piecing together whatever could have happened.


	15. Part 1: Chapter 15

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

The Batmobile roared up in the BatCave with a screech of tires. Before the turntable even finished spinning to set the car back in its ready position, Batman was out of the driver's seat and marching to the BatComputer. His encounter with Waller had not gone as well as he'd expected. Not only had the woman revealed she knew his most closely guarded secret, she'd made sense.

With his fledgling superpowered battalion and their Montana-based Nexus… Cadmus had every right to be scared. The human race still wouldn't stand a chance if history were to repeat itself. He gritted her teeth and batted a foil-colored letter out of the way on his way to the computer. He had to make sure that would _never_ happen again.

"Bruce? Are you down here? I heard the car pull up," Diana's angelic voice called from the Manor above, "Bruce?"

"I'm here, Diana," Batman replied on instinct.

"Come up out of there. It's late in the night and the bed feels empty without you…" There was a definite sultry tone to her voice, a husky and primal growl. It stirred something in his loins in a way no one and nothing ever had before. _Oh, Diana_… He squeezed his eye shut to block out the feelings. This is what he'd trained for, he was under mental assault the likes of which even Scarecrow would be jealous.

"Bruce…" The siren call came again from the Manor above calling him to sleep for the night, but the night was still young, wasn't it? He glanced at the timepiece on his gauntlet. It was late, in fact some would argue that it was now more morning than night. He looked at the work before him.

"Don't make me come down there and get you," Diana gave a playful warning, "I have the lasso,"

Batman pressed a button on the BatComputer opening up communication with his protégés, "Do not come to the cave. Go home. Go rest. We will regroup in the morning,"

"You're giving us the night off?" Robin asked, incredulous, "Boss, is that legal?"

Batman narrowed his eyes and shut off his communicator, not even waiting for Batgirl's response. They would be fine. The Justice Lords would not return. The Justice League would not fall to history. Not so long as they embraced their humanity. He removed his cowl and quickly transformed from the brooding Dark Knight to the handsome and much-desired playboy Bruce Wayne.

But he wasn't a 'playboy' anymore. Diana had come into his life and he hadn't had a fling since. In a strange sort of way, they were exclusive. He shut down the lights to the BatCave then ascended with anticipation to the Manor above. As he went, he wished Alfred was still alive to see this. Bruce Wayne settling down and being happy to leave the BatCave, even for a night? The tabloids read that the Amazon had tamed the wealthy bachelor, but the truth was more remarkable than that. The Amazon had tamed the Bat.

* * *

Boy, were his eyes aching. He knew they were red with the desire to sleep and the wee hours of the morning were upon him; the rays peeking through his blinds preceding the rising sun told him that much. Even so, he had to finish this. It was… intriguing.

The black site below Los Lago had been purged of incriminating info and the site flooded with 'cleaners'. The site's data had been securely sent across the world, bounced through multiple different satellites and routes before landing in DC to be hardline delivered to a top secret Cadmus facility deep under New York City. And yet, after reviewing the log, somehow someone managed to snag a rather large data packet from right under his nose.

Hamilton flexed his fingers and got back to work tracing the breech, "Oh, you are a clever little bugger. Took all night, but I've unravelled your thread," he sipped his decaf then returned to the computer, "And now I've got you," his program finished just as his house phone rang.

"Hello, this is Emil,"

"Hamilton!" Waller's harsh voice scattered any desire of sleep he had.

"What is it, Amanda?" He kept his voice even.

"I had a visitor last night of the cape and cowl kind,"

"And he got by your trained security and cameras?" He shouldered the phone and casually poured himself another cup of decaf, "Color me shocked,"

"This is serious, Hamilton! He knew things that he had no business knowing. Things someone who just found out about us a few days ago could never know so quickly!"

"Well, they don't call him 'the World's Greatest Detective' for nothing," He turned back to his computer and frowned, _Interesting, another deadend route. This guy knows his stuff. Or her stuff. I don't judge. They used one of our own systems and satellites to bounce through a government satellite. Well played…_

"Are you listening to me?" Waller's voice broke through his concentration again.

_Damn woman. _"What do you want, Waller? A clone of the Batman, too? KR-1 is difficult enough to contain without Los Lago. Wouldn't it be better to give Tala a ring and see if she could drum up some mystical hoodoo?"

"It's 'voodoo' and no, I need you to figure out what he knows and _how _he knows it,"

_That's it! Waller, I could kiss you,_ Emil's eyes lit up and his fingers danced across his keyboard. Batman was the hacker, or at least someone with him. He'd been looking at the breach the wrong way. He was looking at it like the hack had come from outside the base, an impossibility. But if the hacker had been on the base and close to the source… completely possible, "I'm already on it, Amanda,"

"What do you mean 'you are already on it?'"

"Exactly what I said," he replied, "We had a data breach as we emptied the site. I'm in the process of tracking down where the data went,"

"That's impossible,"

"And you also said your home was impregnable,"

"Emil-"

"Don't worry, Amanda, I have it under control. With a few more hours of work, and probably a nap, I'll have at least the destination of the data within my grasp. Whoever this was knew their stuff. Reminds me of a friend I used to know,"

"I don't care if it makes you nostalgic for the anonymous hackers you used to pal around with online. You and I both have a duty to this project. Figure out who's got that data and what they have! I don't like being kept in the dark," then she added, "And if you crack a joke about irony, I swear I will find a way to stick you with Dominic as an assistant going forward,"

He grinned into the receiver, "You're catching on to my humor,"

"It's as annoying as it is dry," she said, "How long before you have the data?"

"Depends. How much longer are you planning on staying on the phone?"

"Get it done," she growled, "Then head over to your base. Tala's managed to get the so-called 'Gentle Man' under control. She needs the gate to be opened so they can send him back over,"

"I told her that was a terrible idea. After the mess that madman caused in Gotham, I don't know why she saw that as a great idea. But no one listens to Emil," He could almost feel Waller's glare over the landline and he smiled, "Goodbye, Amanda,"

"Get it done,"

_Click._

Dr. Hamilton placed the phone back on his charging cradle then returned to his work. It was a beautiful trail he was following. The breadcrumbs were so hard to find that he had to appreciate the level of cleanup this person did. There was so little thread to unravel, but that's part of what made it a challenge. A challenge that reminded him of when he was young. Before the politics; before Cadmus; before Amanda Waller. When the Justice Lords took control and all he had were his computer and science, pure and simple.

* * *

Kimber bent over and pulled the oven open with a gloved hand. Smoke rushed out from the door like from out of a dragon's mouth. She squealed and waved her hands back and forth to wave the smoke away. She coughed a few times as she bent back into the dissipating smoke to retrieve her grilled corn on the cob.

"What'cha making, Kim?" Goren wiped his hands on his shorts then leaned in the door jam, "Grilled corn? You know that's one of my favorites,"

"I know, Papa," Kimber set the hot pan on the stovetop and wiped sweat from her brow, "You're the one who taught me how to make it," She left her made meal for a moment to take the butter out of the fridge and the seasoned salt from a cupboard. When she came back, she caught her father's hand snaking over a rather juicy, perfectly grilled head of corn.

She slapped the top of his hand with a click of her teeth, "Papa! That's not for eating yet!" She began spreading butter delicately over the kernels, "It is for work," she followed up each spread of butter with a dash of seasoned salt.

"Work? Your work is having some sort of a party? On the weekend? You don't even work weekends. Do they even know you work there?"

"Not that job, Papa!" She raised her eyebrows in a sort of hinting motion, "My _other_ job. We're having a first annual picnic at the 'Cave,"

"There's no way Batman-"

"It was Diana's idea, actually," Kimber returned to spreading the toppings, "She said she and Zatanna would deal with bringing food and drinks, but I wanted to contribute all the same,"

"A Justice League company picnic," the elder Lee mused, "Never thought I'd see the day… You think maybe, since I've worked with Batman, Robin and Batgirl on a number of occasions, I could… tag along?"

She gave her father a look, "No, Papa,"

"Hey," he raised his hands in self-defense, "It was worth a shot,"

"Sorry, League members only. Besides, we're having a fighting tournament. Brackets are in and I managed to snag a spot," She recapped the butter and seasoned salt, "And before you worry, don't; superpowers are banned," Kimber retrieved a plastic container and slid the seasoned corn carefully into it, "And even if they weren't, I'd still come out on top. I intend to win," A twinkle in her eye dispelled any room for argument from her father.

"Alright, fine. I can't attend, but what about Curtis? I thought you two were supposed to catch a movie tonight?"

Her cheeks flared, "We were! But he had to reschedule. Lucky, too, because I really wanted to go to this picnic,"

"Is that so?" Goren wiped his hands on his jeans, "Then why is he pulling up outside?"

* * *

"So you and Clark will be the first fight of the tournament. It's more exhibition than anything else, really. It's the fight I know a lot of Leaguers want to see… me included," Diana traced the paper on the clipboard with her finger, "It won't have any bearing on the brackets. Then we have myself fighting against you and then Oliver against Curtis,"

Bruce reclined in his easy chair as he observed Diana's matter-of-fact planning. Dressed in khaki shorts, a button-up shirt with rolled sleeves and with a pen tucked behind her ears she looked almost pedestrian. Anyone passing by her on the street would be none the wiser that she was the immensely powerful Wonder Woman, _Now I see the charm and simplicity in Clark's disguise,_ Bruce mused himself.

"Mawk, I've paired with Queen Mera. Clark with Kimber," She flipped to the back paper, "No word on if Mightor wants to join in the fighting, though I assume with his… unique situation, he wouldn't be eligible. Perhaps he can help Zatanna with snacks?" She looked to Bruce for confirmation.

He only shrugged.

"Okay, and I haven't heard from Ray, Inza or Dinah. I know Dinah's still coming, but she hasn't put in for a fight. That leaves Katar the odd contender out," She tapped her lip thoughtfully. He loved it when she did that.

"Inza will not be joining us," He informed Diana, "She's wrapped up in a previous engagement. A crisis of magic,"

"Something we should be aware of?" Diana's voice shifted slightly to a tone of action.

"Something she will bring us in on if she needs us," He answered, "And I don't expect Dr. Palmer to answer the invitation. He's only recently joined the Justice League and fighting already isn't exactly his forté,"

A mischievous grin, "There's always B'wanna Beast,"

"No,"

"Can't say I'm surprised," Diana turned her grin back to her clipboard, "You could also invite your new winged friend? I'm sure Katar would love a go at the mysterious Birdman,"

Bruce stood abruptly, "It won't be too hard to talk Dinah into a fight. She's always in the mood to test her mettle," He turned away from the living area and headed for the parlor.

_That must be a sour spot,_ Diana walked after her man, "This then leaves one final question: What will you be wearing?"

"Excuse me?"

"You can't have me believe you haven't contemplated if this Justice League event would be in or out of uniform, can you? It may be hosted in the BatCave but most of the Leaguers already know who you are beneath the mask," she brushed some loose hair from his forehead, "On the one hand this is a League event; on the other hand, it's a _relaxing_ League event. Private,"

"It's work," Batman responded. He swung open the clock and descended.

"Well, I'm still wearing this," she yelled down to him.

"Please don't,"

* * *

Kimber and Curtis walked through the inner caves leading to the BatCave proper. Both of their stomachs were aflutter. After all, this was the first annual Justice League picnic. And even if it was a subterranean picnic, hanging out with their fellow heroes when crime wasn't on the line sounded like good team-building fun.

The ride to the cave, however, had been a battleground. He'd shown up on time as he'd been told to do. Kimber had wanted him to drive so she could focus on just holding her precious cargo: the lovingly made grilled corn. However, he had not received her text that her father was home. She'd told her father that she was going with Curtis to the movies earlier in the week, but after she'd been caught making the corn, she had to tell her father the truth. That also meant Curtis couldn't be there, not if she was going to a Justice League meeting.

But with Curtis showing up to pick her up, her story of cancelling the matineé was called into question. After a quick spat between the two, Curtis drove home. Really he'd driven right around the corner for her to meet up with him after she'd left home, but to Goren it put her in a very negative light. Again he raised the conflict of either breaking up with Curtis for his sake or telling him the truth. And again Kimber's inner voice raised the conflict on whether or not she should tell her father Robin's true identity. But she answered both conflicts by continuing to straddle the fence, pushing the looming conflict off to another day.

"So why don't you just tell him?" Curtis asked as he pulled into the small parking lot of the permanently closed food shack, "He already knows yours so what harm could it cause?"

"Like I've said a million times, if he found out you were Robin, he'd worry even more. He's just barely getting over his fear of me going out at nights," Kimber carefully unbuckled herself and slid out of the passenger side with corn in hand, "Besides, it's kind of like a fun game and it's… it's nice having something secret from him. And if we ever broke up in the future, that would make working with him in uniform awkward as hell,"

"You're expecting us to fall apart?"

"Of course not," she gave him a peck on his cheek, "But if we _did…_ that would be a mess and a half,"

"And you're planning on being Batgirl forever?"

"Oh, not you, too, Curt. Who else would I be?"

"Kimber Lee?"

"Kimber Lee is Batgirl," She shook her head, "This is the life I've always wanted even before I knew it was an option…"

The two made their way down the deserted beach to the cave system entrance that would eventually take them to the BatCave, "D'you know what my first night out was like?"

"No, actually you've never shared with me what your first night out was like. Come to think of it, I don't think I shared with you mine, either,"

"Well, we have a good walk ahead of us so why not some stories? I'll share mine, then you share yours?"

"Deal," Curtis smirked, "As an added bonus, tell me the date and I'll tell you what _I _was doing while you were getting your feet wet,"

"Let me guess: math homework?"

"Rude,"

She smiled in the growing darkness, "It was a warm summer night in June."

"June? I thought you started in, like, September?"

"Nope. Did it every so often in the summer months. Nothing crazy like murderers and definitely not like now… Wasn't until school started that I began taking it seriously. But that night, I had homework for summer school, geography, and I couldn't focus on it,"

"The riots?"

"The riots," she affirmed, "Heard the news over the radio, Papa was out trying to calm the streets in Otisburg but things were getting worse and all I could do was listen…"

* * *

A whoosh of cloth and a light-hearted chuckle. The telltale signs that Clark had arrived. Not 'Superman'; Clark. Batman turned around and faced the man dressed in jeans and a dress shirt with a dufflebag held over one shoulder and the familiar glasses tucked neatly into his shirt pocket, hugged by his pocket protector. Batman glared.

"What?" Kent looked at his clothing, "I have a change of clothes for the fight,"

"Don't let the Bat get you down, Clark," Diana descended the stairs carrying an oversized barrel of punch, "It's not often that Bruce has parties for fun with people he actually enjoys spending time with. Besides, he's sour that you and I aren't wearing our uniforms,"

Clark staggered back a bit and pointed over his shoulder, "Oh, I didn't realize there was a dress code. I can fly back across to Metropolis and change,"

"Don't worry about it,"

"It wouldn't take too long," he took to the air, "Faster than a speeding bullet and all that,"

Batman growled.

"What's going on?" A new voice caught the three heroes by surprise, "Don't tell me their fight started already,"

All eyes turned to Curtis and Kimber as they emerged out of the darkness of the cave's sublevels. Curtis wore a simple two-toned exercise tee with a generic sports logo on the front and a matching pair of basketball shorts. On his feet he wore rather worn sneakers with frayed laces and dulled tongues.

Kimber wore a pair of jeans shorts much shorter than anyone else in the cave would have expected her to wear, aside from Curtis, and a pink crop top. Beneath the crop top she wore a sort of compressions shirt that covered her belly as well as her arms. In her hands, she held a wide plastic container filled to the brim with grilled corn, "Anywhere I could put this?" she gestured the corn as best she could, "It's been a long walk,"

Diana immediately flew to Kimber's side and relieved her of her burden, "I've got it, sister," She flew the food to the corner of the 'Cave that had been setup with tables and colored paper tablecloths.

"'Welcome League'," Curtis read the shiny letters strung over one area of the main chamber, "That sounds ridiculous,"

"Exactly what I said," Batman agreed. He looked at Curtis' shoes, "I'm confident you're paid well enough to buy new shoes,"

"I am, but most of my paycheck goes into living expenses," He gave a side-long look to his mentor, "Not all of us are blessed with trust funds and mansions, you know. I'm a college student with two part-time jobs, only one of which pays,"

"Same," Kimber called out from her position with Diana.

"Reporter's salary," Clark chimed in, "Freelancer reporter now, actually. So even lower than my earlier rate,"

"I'm unemployed," Diana smoothed out a final ruffle in a tablecloth, "Though I have contemplated applying to the Gotham Museum of Antiquities as a curator. Hera knows that they could use a fact checker, and who else to fact check than someone who was alive through antiquity,"

"And who knows, maybe you'll even get a spot among their collection," Queen Mera stood at the top of the harbor stairs, "Apologies, Princess of Themyscira. I could not resist the jab,"

Diana smiled through her teeth, "No offense taken, Queen Mera. It seems Oliver is rubbing off on you,"

The queen gave the Amazon a dark look then strode to join the others at the main chamber with her daughter trailing behind like a lost puppy. As she walked, a burst of magical energy filled the BatCave and when the light faded, Zatanna stood amidst the heroes. Floating over her head were a number of trays and containers. She looked at the table Diana had set up and at the container of grilled corn.

"Hey, I thought snacks were my thing?" she joked as she directed her various treats and foodstuffs to lay themselves out over the table.

"I just wanted to contribute," Kimber apologetically smiled, "It's something we always had at family picnics when I was a kid. Figured I'd bring the tradition over,"

The mature magician laughed, "I'm just teasing. I'm sure it also settled your mind instead of contemplating the tournament. Speaking of," She turned to Batman, "Aren't you a little _overdressed_?"

The Dark Knight eyed Zatanna's casual jeans and tank top, "Aren't you a little, underdressed?"

"Honestly, Bruce, everyone knows who you are. You're among friends. You will be among friends. Do we really have to stay so hung up on ceremony for this event?" Diana's fingers laced the silver emblem that rested heavily on Batman's chest.

"You all may not want to see this as a Justice League meeting, but it is,"

"You're really going to wear that thing?" Oliver's voice lit up the cave, "Are you serious?" He and his companions entered through the sublevels from the same path Curtis and Kimber had come through, "I thought this was strictly a 'for fun' get together and not another meeting in disguise. I have had enough boardroom chat for the week, thank you very much,"

Behind Oliver stepped Mawk and Dinah, both also not dressed in their superhero uniforms, but in the clothes of civilians; clothing Mawk had taken to calling 'civies'. Mawk was dressed in a tank top and sweatpants while Dinah wore oversized shorts and a loose tee shirt. It was all the more apparent that Batman stood out among the attending members.

Dinah put a scrutinizing hand on her hip and tilted her head at the Dark Knight, a scornful smirk on her lips, "C'mon, take that uniform off and join us,"

Batman looked over each member of the Justice League, each one dressed in plain clothes looking more like they were about to go to the gym than going to stop crime. More like they were going to a picnic. He looked to Diana and relented, "Fine," He pulled the angry cowl from his head, "Let me change,"

Zatanna shook her head as Bruce retreated into the Armory to remove his second skin, "I swear if he had emotions, he'd be blushing furiously right now,"

"Bruce Wayne is Batman?" Mawk's outburst earned him an exasperated expression from Mereena. He turned to his magic tutor, "You knew?"

"Of course my mother and I knew," Mereena replied with a roll of her eyes, "We're not stupid. We know where we go when we enter that harbor. Now hush! Before he decides otherwise,"

The members of the fledgling Justice League aimlessly milled about and chatted. Bruce emerged minutes later dressed in a dark blue long-sleeve compression shirt and a slim-fitted pair of black exercise pants. At a glance, the outfit appeared to be nothing more than a slimmed down Batsuit.

Oliver took one look at him and shook his head, "Even out of uniform he's in uniform,"

Diana shot the casually dressed Dark Knight a look, "Bruce, you can't be serious,"

"What?"

"You're pretty much in uniform, Bruce. Just add a cape and a spiked mask and you're still Batman," Richard Grayson descended the stairs to the BatCave with Barbara Gordon trailing behind him.

"How do you keep getting into the Manor without me knowing?"

"It's good to see you, too, old man," Dick gave a mischievous smirk, "I grew up up there, remember? Down here, too,"

Barbara rubbed Richard's back through his jacket and grinned, "Never thought I'd see the day when Batman would play well with others again,"


	16. Part 1: Chapter 16

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

The picnic in the BatCave went much better than any of even the most optimistic person could have expected. The very first thing all in attendance demanded was the fight between Bruce and Clark. Batman and Superman. After the ring was set up and the power dampening magical field activated by Zatanna, the match went underway.

The match actually had to start twice. The first time Clark and Bruce touched gloves and began to fight Clark allowed Bruce a free shot. Bruce declined, muttering that Clark wasn't taking the match seriously. Clark said he was and Bruce taunted him, telling the Man of Steel to hit him.

Clark threw a left hook which Bruce blocked, but it was the stiff right that caught the playboy in the side. Bruce grunted with the hit but barely budged. His gloved hand streaked across Clark's face and then his other hand shot into Kent's solar plexus, doubling the Man of Steel over. Then Bruce went to his corner and waited for Zatanna, the self-appointed referee, to restart the match.

"You don't have super strength on this stage," Bruce had said aloud to the heaving Clark as he reset in his corner, "The next time I tell you to hit me, do it for real or go home," It was a sobering statement and sure enough as soon as Clark had caught his breath and the match reset, Clark Kent was fighting more like Superman and less like the happy-go-lucky boy from Kansas he actually was.

It was a wonderful fight between the two men. For most present, it was their first exposure to Klurkor. As impressive a style the martial art appeared, what with its fluid motions and devastatingly quick strikes, Bruce deftly redirected many of Clark's attacks. Those that he couldn't redirect, he nimbly dodged.

However, Clark wasn't the only one on the offensive. Bruce threw in his own attacks as well; however, most were counterattacks, using Clark's own momentum and body weight against him. Even so, Clark was able to scramble out of any situation and though Bruce tried to get the country boy in various holds and grapples, Clark always seemed to know just how to wiggle free.

Halfway into the fight, Clark's style abruptly shifted for a more brutal and direct attack. It was as one shifting from Wing-Chun to Capoeira. The first time Clark's foot shot up from below his waist for Bruce's head, everyone was caught off-guard. Bruce himself barely moved away before the kick could connect.

He asked where Clark learned to kick and Clark laughed, "Please don't tell me you think Krypton only developed one martial art?" He continued till the end of the fight using Torquasm-Rao and only lost due to a ring out. Clark had executed a flying kick that Bruce'd easily caught and used to throw him over the edge. Instead of catching himself on the ledge, Clark hit the ground.

Barbara helped the powerless Kryptonian to his feet, "You forgot you couldn't fly, huh?"

He laughed, "The magic doesn't extend to off the ring, I just… let my last capsule wear off before the fight," He cast a look over his shoulder to his gym bag then gave Barbara a side hug and climbed back into the ring just as Zatanna raised Bruce's fist in victory.

And from there the get-together was a pleasant affair. The fights were engaging to watch as well as participate in. Bruce talked Dinah into joining to avoid uneven pairings and food was quickly devoured. Surprisingly, Kimber's corn was the first dish to be finished with all paying their compliments to her surprise talent for cooking. After half an hour of compliments, the young woman quietly admitted to Diana that her skill in the kitchen barely extended further than the grilled corn.

Now, an hour into the get-together, Curtis left the ring the winner in his match against Oliver. He approached the bench where Bruce and Clark sat toweling themselves off and Bruce threw him a fresh bottle of water, "Thanks," he caught the drink and popped open the top.

"That was fast," Bruce mused.

Curt guzzled the water, "Yeah, well, I've had ample time to size him up,"

"It was his first fight," Clark stated, "When would you have sized him up?"

"Met him in Star City, remember? Saved his ass from you and Stewart then we held our own against you two," Curtis winked at Clark, "Speaking of which, you better watch out if we end up tangling today. I've got your number,"

"So from then you watched him?"

Curtis shook his head and a few beads of sweat ran from his hairline down his forehead, "Nah, watched him for a few days before confronting him, just in case he didn't listen to reason,"

"Just in case, huh?" Clark looked from Curtis to Bruce, "Sounds like someone I know,"

Bruce looked at his old ally out of the corner of his eye and took another swig of his water.

"I have to ask," Curt changed the subject, "Just how were you able to slither out of Batma, er, _Bruce's_ holds? I've never seen anyone get out of those!"

Clark grinned, "Grew up on a farm. When I was a kid, I used to wrestle with some of the local boys. Played a game called 'Wrangle the Pig'," he laughed, "We'd wrestle in a mudpit like pigs and wiggle out of each other's grasp. I was always the hardest to catch,"

Curtis looked at Clark, "Superpowers?"

"Experience. I actually had to wrangle pigs on the farm weekend mornings. Eventually I figured out what made them so squirmy. So I just did that. Always worked,"

Mawk approached the three men, "You're up, Mr. Kent,"

"Please, call me 'Clark'," the country boy stood up and shook Mawk's hand, "It's been a year, we should be on first name basis by now,"

"But Mr. Wayne said I should only refer to him as 'Mr. Wayne', I just being professional,"

"Oh, he's just messing with you," Clark led Mawk to the ring to fight with a warm smile, "Don't worry about him; just call him 'Bruce',"

Mawk looked over his shoulder and caught Bruce staring daggers into his eyes. He turned away and gulped, "If you say so,"

Bruce and Curtis watched the two walk to the ring and begin to ready up. Curtis took another gulp from his bottle of water, "Find what you're looking for last night? You called us off so abruptly,"

"Had to get ready for today," Bruce replied just as curtly, "You?"

"Mmhmm. Well, not me specifically. I hit the streets, it was Batgirl's data that came back with something interesting. A hypothesis potentially confirmed,"

"Well? Don't keep me in suspense,"

"Our John Doe was named Harold Chen and he'd been killed by a radiation blast. Alfred scanned his recents online and found he was on vacation in Gotham,"

Bruce huffed, "Because this city is such a tourist hotspot,"

"You know there are beautiful spots in this city, right? Anyway, He was visiting extended family out here,"

"So, came to Gotham to connect with his family and was murdered by a radioactive ray. And he works for LexCorp?"

"Yep, lab worker,"

"And your hypothesis?"

"Getting to that. Sent Batgirl over to check out the home he was staying at. His relatives were not home so she had no issue investigating the-"

Curtis' words were cut off as a small argument erupted by the ring. Both men looked at the stage and Bruce was the first to stand. He beckoned for Oliver, who stood with arms crossed and a towel draped over his neck, to come over, "What's going on?"

Oliver jogged up to him as he answered, "The water witch wants to trade fights with Mawk so she can tangle with the big guy, but Clark doesn't want Mawk to switch. He says the bracket are fine as they are,"

Curtis looked at the low-level conflict, "And Mereena?"

"You know her," Oliver sighed, "Inserting herself trying to calm down her mom. Earlier heard she was trying to join the fight, but now she's just trying to save herself and her mom from embarrassment,"

The trio watched a bit more of the fight as Dinah put herself between Clark and Queen Mera. She spoke a few words that seemed to ease their tensions and garnered a steadfast nod from the queen and a look of surprise from both Dinah and Clark. Dinah shrugged and bowed out as Clark and Mera shook hands.

Mawk approached Oliver with Mereena trailing his heels. Curtis looked at him, "What happened?"

"We switched," Mawk let out a breath he seemed to have held from the conflict started, "She wanted to fight Mr. Ke, er, _Clark_ so bad, she agreed to Mereena competing. I'm fighting Dinah next instead but, man, Queen Mera really wanted to take on Clark," He looked over his shoulder as the two metahumans tapped gloves and began their bout, "Or, more accurately, she really wants to fight Superman,"

Mereena watched her mother throw a volley of punches at one of the core League members. Clark danced around her angry jabs and swung a fist of his own, narrowly missing her hip, "She's been talking non-stop about it today. Fighting with Superman is something she always has been on about,"

Curt nodded, "I heard. She's made it abundantly clear that she's only in the League to keep an eye on things. Much like you, Ollie," he elbowed Oliver, "You both take notes and trade them during breaks?"

Oliver flared his nostrils at Curtis, "Not you, too,"

"What?"

"I'm goin' to get water," He grabbed each end of the towel around his neck and stalked off to the refreshments table.

"Must've touched a nerve… What's his deal?"

Mawk looked at Mereena then at Curtis, "I'll tell you later when present company is absent,"

Mereena's nose wrinkled in disgust, "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, indignant, "Something you're trying to hide from me?" She didn't even let the young archer answer before she stomped off in a huff.

Mawk looked apologetically at Bruce and Curtis and then rushed after his friend. He tried to pat her shoulder but the moment his hand rested on her, she yanked away from his reach. He started talking but she wasn't listening.

"You were saying?" Bruce's words caught Curtis by surprise.

"Right, radiation burns. Batgirl provided data from the house and-"

"Please don't tell me you're talking shop right now," Both men looked up at Kimber. Her hands were squarely set on her hips and her delicate face made her displeasure well apparent, "Seriously? Can it not wait even a day, you two?"

"Tell me what you found at Chen's relative's house," Bruce's demand was to the point and bypassed all of Kimber's playfulness, tugging instead at the core of who she was: Batgirl.

With no hesitation nor protest, she sat and shifted. If one were to compare her transformation of mannerisms and attitude, one would have mistaken her for a female Bruce Wayne; or, more accurately, a female Batman.

"Radiation. Lots of it. Robin told me to look for where the incident could have taken place, because the poor man hadn't been killed along the side of the road. I found a few leads and reported back to him as he cleaned up the streets. Tried not to stay there too long,"

"Radiation poisoning," Bruce stated, "I know the feeling. You called hazmat?"

"The minute the geiger meter began jumping, yeah. But that wasn't the only reason: I had a hanger-on. Birdman found me as I scoped out the house. He's in Gotham,"

"Nuisance," Bruce muttered.

"That's what I thought at first," Curtis broke back in. He looked to the ring and watched as Clark landed a solid hit to Queen Mera's jaw, laying her out for the count. _She must have been fighting angry; seeing red. Never a good strategy,_ "But then I took a second look at the image and my mind began to correlate the events the last few days,"

Zatanna held up Clark's fist and proclaimed him the winner. Off stage, Diana and Katar stretched as they prepared for their fight. Mawk and Oliver were by the snacks scarfing down a number of pigs in blankets as Mereena played referee and Barbara watched on in horror. No one paid any attention to the three allies in the corner.

"Well," Kimber leaned into her boyfriend's shoulder, "Don't leave us in suspense,"

He gave her a weird look but obliged, "First, Cadmus. Our initial experience with the shadowy group. Really big in anything that could give them a leg up on the Justice League. I sympathize with their worries, really, I do. But I don't agree with their methods. But that's beside the point; we met something that night that… haunts,"

"Superboy," Kimber interjected.

"Yes. Superman's clone. How they pulled that off is still a mystery to me," He nodded to Bruce, "Sounds like you have a clear idea, though. But if they've got him back under control and locked away, no doubt you'd be looking at another future Doomsday but worse. Every bit as powerful as Superman at full strength, but government-trained,"

"Sounds like a recipe for disaster,"

"What does that have to do with Harold Chen's death?" Bruce steered them back on track.

Curt tilted his head, "Hey, if they have Superman's DNA and instead of outing him, for whatever good that would do, they _clone _him, what does that tell you? They want a big blue boy scout of their own that they control. They want their own Superman. That got me to thinking; what if that's not the only hero they wanted? What if the reason they're upset about the League forming isn't because the Lords happened, but because they couldn't control the Lords?" He looked to Bruce, "You spoke with Waller, did you get that vibe from her?"

Bruce's eyes narrowed. He was tempted to ask how Curtis knew exactly where he'd gone last night, but already knew the answer: he's Curtis, and to discuss however he'd realized Bruce's secret rendezvous would be a waste of breath, "She sees herself as the 'good guy' and us as a threat. Wouldn't be a hefty leap to assume the Justice League under Cadmus control would be preferable to them than outright taking us down,"

"But she's smart," Kimber piped up again, "She knows that will never happen. Thus, she's made her own Superman,"

"Exactly," Curt nodded, "But it doesn't stop there. We all saw how rampant and mindless the clone seemed to be. No words; just yelling. They're still conditioning him and teaching him. But how do you keep him under control? He's more dangerous than the real McCoy because he doesn't have to rely on a belt for full power,"

"Kryptonite always works," Kimber joked.

But Bruce considered the question more seriously and the answer popped into his brain immediately, "Radiation,"

"And our John Doe worked where?"

"LexCorp's labs. Mercy sold the company to Daggett but kept a few independent labs for herself, citing government contracts she couldn't discuss due to NDAs. Cadmus started with that meeting during the Justice Lords set-up, but where would they have gotten the infrastructure from?"

The trio watched the fight between Diana and Katar as they mulled the question over. Both combatants were from a warrior culture but it was clear that Diana's sheer number of years gave her the edge. She'd had experiences over her centuries of life, warfare and training that Katar's own training couldn't hope to counteract.

While Katar's wings did give him a distinct advantage, being able to use them to strike or block at a greater distance than an arm would allow, Diana wasn't completely at a loss for dealing with them. After all, she'd sparred with Shayera during the first Justice League's time and even more after the Justice Lords took over. There hadn't been much else to do. And aside from that, she'd fought a corrupt angel only the year before and that desperate fight against Azra'il was still fresh in her mind.

"She didn't leave during Lex's presidency for any controversial reason or differences of policy," Bruce suddenly announced, "She left because she was reassigned to a shared project. Lex bankrolled the infrastructure for what would become Cadmus through LexCorp. When he died and Mercy took over as CEO, she took a hard look at his books and must have found discrepancies,"

"So she sold the company rather than fixing them?"

"Probably forced to. Stock kept crashing publicly as more and more 'accidents' kept happening during the Justice Lords," Bruce rubbed his chin, "So that props up a connection between Mr. Chen and Cadmus via what was left of LexCorp, but that still doesn't solve Mr. Chen's murder,"

"Well, let's throw in the last piece of the puzzle then," Curt grinned, "When Batgirl scanned the house, she said she kept getting false positives and bad readings. Coupled with Bruce's answer on reigning in a Kryptonian and I got to thinking, 'It was mighty convenient the way Birdman showed up in Nevada and his beams were able to subdue Superboy right away'. Almost like the newb knew what he was doing,"

Diana laid out Katar with a powerful uppercut and Zatanna rushed in to end the match. Diana dropped in for a follow up strike as she'd been trained to do, but was restrained by Zatanna. She raised Diana's arm in victory over the winged man as he rubbed his aching jaw. Even with her super strength nullified by Zatanna's magical field, Diana knew how to throw a punch.

"He can fire rays from his fists," Curtis continued, "And convenient how he was in Gotham the same night as Chen's death… And in the same area. Too much coincidence. So I looked at Batgirl's data and confirmed my hypothesis,"

"Birdman's beams are radiation rays, aren't they?" Bruce jumped to the end.

"Some of them, yep," Curtis nodded, "All the geiger counter's issues happened when Batgirl was close to Birdman. Visual mapping confirmed his fists to be sure sources. When Cadmus was calling for 'Wings' they must have been waiting for him,"

"That would also explain how Waller knew we were in the desert when we'd already been back to Gotham. Aside from the clone, Birdman was the only one that could ID us," He crossed his arms and glared at the floor, "He killed Chen to cover something up for Cadmus, the question is 'what',"

The three sat in silence again and watched as Dinah and Mawk squared off in the ring. Kimber sniffled, her mind still spinning with all the information Curtis had shared when something clicked, "Well, now hang on a second that doesn't explain your whole 'they want their own superhero army' thing. I get that they cloned Superman to have their own but, how does Birdman being their agent factor in?"

"Birdman's design is not exactly unique," Bruce trailed off as he watched Katar clap Diana on the back in camaraderie and mutual respect between warriors, his wings flexing and stretching as they recovered from the fight.

* * *

Birdman soared over the Gotham skyway. It was his first time ever visiting Gotham and he was taking full advantage. Like New York City and its sister city of Metropolis, Gotham was called 'the city that never sleeps'. But he felt a more apt title would be 'the Nocturnal City' because the nightlife was much more exciting and vibrant than the day life.

Clubs and bars were often open till the wee hours of the morning. The neon lights and sounds of debauchery all increased after the sun went down. Even with Batman empty, crooks and ne'er-do-wells opted to carry out their fiendish plans under the cover of darkness.

Gotham had a complex history within the last few decades. It had experienced a period of untold growth and expansion up until just over forty years ago when organized crime started to ramp up. The mob families had always operated within Gotham's city limits, but never really had much of a foothold until the Falcones started to take business from the Davins. Then came the Arkham Incident.

A madman named Martin Hawkins, formerly institutionalized in Metropolis, committed a pair of grisly murders. He abused and then slaughtered the family of the doctor who treated him, Asmodeus Arkham. Arkham took responsibility for the mad dog and tried electroshock therapy, but this untested procedure killed Hawkins.

A few months later, Arkham, with funding help from Thomas Wayne, converted his house into an asylum; an asylum he would eventually find himself admitted to. A few years later, Gotham's soul was killed with the Waynes. From there, things got worse.

Gotham's growth and potential stagnated, pollution levels increased and as its sister city Metropolis surged ahead under Lex Luthor's vision of the future, Gotham stayed a twisted snapshot of a forgotten time. Without prominent and positive political and wealthy figures like the Waynes to do for Gotham what Luthor did for Metropolis, Gotham became a graveyard.

Birdman swooped low between Old Gotham's twisted mishmash of buildings and felt his skin crawl. Of all parts of the city, this held the most… character of what Gotham was at that time. Tall spires of gothic architecture mixed with a distinct 1950s noir aesthetic. Somehow modernity had wriggled its way in, but it wasn't much… and the few visible modern touches stood out like eye sores on the landscape of this section of the city.

Batman showed up twenty years after the Waynes were killed and it was like all of the city's anger and vengeance had been made manifest. As he rooted out organized crime, the city's demons evolved to meet this threat to their stranglehold of the city. Fiends like the Joker, the Mad Hatter and Poison Ivy appeared to take on the Bat as more sympathetic victims of circumstance also turned to crime. The former district attorney came to Birdman's mind.

As he soared between the buildings seeking out any crime to hand, a kid waved to him from an open dirty window with a look of awe on his face. Birdman paused his flight and took time to wave back at the boy and gave a well-practiced all-American smile. He flexed in midair and struck a pose as the boy snapped a picture of him with his camera phone. Then he flew off leaving the kid with an inspired smile on his face.

A siren caught his ear below and he swooped down to the road, trailing the squad car as traffic parted by its authority like the Red Sea before the Biblical Moses. It was still impressive the trust and respect the people had for law enforcement. Between the Justice Lords, the Bat and then the new chief of police, Goren Lee, most corrupt cops had been rooted out over the years and the city was trusting its police force.

He followed the squad car for a few blocks and suddenly the grim architecture of Old Gotham faded away and was replaced with water as he went over a bridge to Miagani Island. Soon he found himself amidst a shootout on the edge of Kingston. The cops already had the situation well under control and the added squad car was nothing more than a show of force, but what else was there for him to do before nightfall?

Birdman swooped up, pointed his fist and fired a concussive ray of energy at the back wall. It crumbled beneath the ray's power, exposing the goons inside. They turned in shock from the police at the front to Birdman at the back.

"Hope I haven't caught you boys at a bad time?" He'd been instructed by Falcon 7 to not make quips when in costume, but he couldn't help it. Something about being dressed up in such a ridiculously bright costume brought out the campy side of him. After all, if quips were good enough for Superman and the Flash (bless his soul) then quips would be good enough for Birdman.

It didn't take long for the goons to shake off their surprise, "Who'zat? Aw jeez, Hawkman's on our back. Blast 'im!" The small group open fire on him.

"Now, now," Birdman raised his left hand, palm open, and a red shield of heat energy materialized. Every bullet that struck the shield vaporized, "Not Hawkman, though I understand the confusion," the shield faded as their gunfire trailed off, "A blast from my fist should help you remember the name…" he paused for effect. After all, what good was being a superpowered, colorful hero if you didn't have showmanship? A stream of energy shot from his knuckles and struck each criminal. As he fired, he bellowed his name, stretching out the first syllable "Birdman!"

"Cut the crap, Captain Randall," Amanda Waller's voice came through his earpiece, "Cadmus doesn't pay you to posterize,"

"Cadmus doesn't pay me at all," Birdman responded quietly, "I've seen my pay stubs, Director Waller, and I'm government born and fed. Now, is Falcon 7 with you or are you on my line to waste my time?"

"You botched your assignment last night. The police know that he was killed by a radioactive blast,"

"Sounds like a Cadmus problem," He grinned through his teeth and waved at the confounded officers as they carted away the subdued gunmen.

"No, this is your problem, Captain Randall. We ordered you to take him out before he talked and dispose of him inconspicuously. Then you did the most conspicuous thing! You used your own specialized weapon to kill him and then hung around for Batgirl to find you! And to top it off, you irradiated the house so much, the city's hazmat team had to take down the house. Now everyone knows Chen was murdered,"

"Hey, I threw the girl off the trail," He flew off, "We found a few false leads, as much as I admire her situational awareness to notice me, she's not that great a detective," He paused and looked at his hands, "Still don't agree with how Harold was handled, though. He was a good man,"

"We do what we have to for our country. It's what you signed on for," Waller was as coarse as ever, "Harold shared sensitive documents with a man named Denton Reed. We need to retrieve them. Try to stow your showboating superheroic nonsense and don't mess this up,"

"You want me to kill another man? If Falcon 7 knew, he wouldn't-"

"Fine!" Amanda barked, "If you're so weak in the knees at the thought of protecting our country's secrets, I'll have someone else handle it. Find Denton, relieve him of his phone and watch, then bring him to me at Site 12,"

Birdman sighed, "Fine,"

"CCTV puts Reed at the train station at Metro and Fourth. If you hurry, you can catch him now. And Raymond?"

"What?"

"When the government signs your checks, whose pen do you think they use?" Her insinuation was thinly veiled: Do not mess with Cadmus.

Birdman swallowed a retort along side his pride and made his way from Miagani Island back to Gotham City proper.


	17. Part 1: Chapter 17

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

The second round of the tournament was well under way. Due to an odd number of participants, a second fighter had to come into the bracket and Mightor, late to the party as usual, filled this need. His tangle with Clark ended with Clark winning, to no one's surprise. But it did provide some entertainment. Only a select few knew of Mightor's… unique condition so when he was allowed to retain his powers, but no club, while fighting Clark most members worried for Clark's safety.

However, the fight was finished quickly as Clark handedly handed Mightor his defeat. More than anything, Mightor appeared little more than a flailing and brawling adolescent without his magical club rather than the imposing muscular Adonis of a caveman he appeared to be. This only fueled speculation about the quiet hero.

After the curious fight between the caveman and the superman, Dinah and Diana entered the ring and fought each other. It was a longer fight, Diana being a natural fighter made for war and Dinah as well being a well-seasoned brawler not above playing dirty, even in a friendly competition. She even pulled at Diana's hair more than once. Eventually, Diana did come out on top. Now, it was Curtis' second match and he was up against Mereena.

In response to Queen Mera's demand to switch brawl partners with Mawk in round one, Mereena had been allowed to participate… even though she was not even an honorary member of the League. But she _had_ been instrumental in the defeat of Icthultu and it was only her mother's tight hold on her and consistent suspicion of the Justice League that kept Mereena from joining. She would be eighteen in only a few months and it was no secret that she would request to join the League again on that day.

Mereena instantly began her attack with an onslaught of kicks, high and low. She'd spent most of her life traversing the waters and while she no longer had the strength of an Atlantean due to Zatanaa's magics, she _did_ have powerful thighs and legs from a life of swimming. They were fast and the blows were heavy.

Curtis tried to dodge the first few kicks but after each attempt at dodging resulted in him getting nicked by either her toe or shin, he gave up on that venture and opted to block the hits and try to redirect them into his favor. Her feet were flying much faster than he'd anticipated and even with Zatanaa's magic dampening strikes in the ring, a kick from an Atlantean was like a kick from a mule.

* * *

"Metro and Fourth," Birdman swooped out of the sky and landed between the above-ground rail station and a strip mall, completely out of site. He unbuckled the cellphone on his hip and checked for recent messages. Sure enough he had one message: a picture message with the image of his target standing by a newspaper salesman near the entrance of the train station, "The fact that the newspaper industry in Gotham is still alive is admirable,"

Birdman used his lenses to scan the many faces in the crowds. Each face came up negative for a good ten minutes until finally a flash of green visually cued him to his target being identified. Birdman zoomed in on his target, Denton Reed.

Mr. Reed was a tall man with wide shoulders and a recessed chin. His pants were baggy and brown and his shirt was a faded green polo; and it wasn't faded due to style. One look at the man and it was apparent that the shirt had been through the wash four too many times at least. Peeking out from the unbuttoned top of the shirt were a few scraggly salt and pepper hairs. A man who somehow looked imposing and goofy at the same time.

Birdman ascended to the height of the building next to him as the man nervously approached the alleyway. His heart began thumping in his chest. He already was uncomfortable with his assignment. When he'd signed on to Cadmus, he did not expect to be 'silencing' people on the homefront. And yet here he was, flying above the tall man aiming his wrist-mounted weapon at an American citizen like a living drone.

Denton did not look up as he flanked the alley. Instead, he stared down it as if waiting for a monster to jump out at him. His grip tightened around a briefcase and he stood for what felt like hours but it must have only been a few minutes. Denton glanced at his wrist watch, a cheap plastic thing integrated with his phone, and in that moment, a man in a dark purple coat approached him from behind.

The newcomer said something to Denton that caused him to jump and turn in surprise. Upon seeing the man's face, Denton seemed to tense up even more; but from his position high above the two, Birdman could not make out the mystery man's face. He sent out a call to his commanding officer.

"Falcon 7, this is Birdman,"

"I read you loud and clear, Birdman. What seems to be the problem?"

"I've located Denton per the Director's orders but he has a friend with him. I can't get him alone,"

Falcon 7 was quiet on his end. Subtle noises of keys clicking and a pipe clacking between his teeth peppered the ambient white noise of the radio. It took perhaps ten seconds to half a minute for Falcon 7 to respond, "Don't worry, I've taken care of it. GCPD is on their way to confront a suspicious character,"

True to Flacon 7's word, two patrol officers on motorcycles zipped out from between traffic, parked, and then approached the two men. One of them, with his hand on his holstered gun, demanded the man in the purple turn around and face them while the other ordered Denton Reed to step back.

The mundane man tentatively stepped into the alley, obviously not wishing to be against the law. He retreated into the alleyway as the police approached. The man in the purple slowly turned his head to the police as they ordered him to remove his hands from his trenchcoat pockets. He did not oblige. He turned his head to the two officers fully and both stopped their approach in shock.

_Now or never,_ Birdman swooped down and scooped up Mr. Reed before the cops could make him out. At best they'd assume him to be Hawkman or even Robin. But as he dusted off skyward with his prey in his talons, Birdman got a good glimpse of the man in the purple's profile. He had no face, _What the heck_…

Shaken by the faceless man's appearance, Birdman's take off was rough at best. His shoulder slammed into the brick wall as he rose and he nearly dropped Denton. The ruffle of his synthetic feathers against the brick alerted the two cops and the purple man to his presence. He didn't give them another moment to focus on him. His propulsion unit accelerated and he boosted over the roof.

"Hawkman! Freeze!" One of the police officers drew his weapon and aimed for the building but by the time his arm set, his target was over the edge.

_Close,_ Birdman landed on the roof and slammed Denton down. He pinned Mr. Reed with one glowing hand and pointed his other fist, also glowing, at Denton's face, "Phone. Watch. _Now_,"

"Yes, sir. Whatever you say!" Denton shakily hurried up and emptied his pockets. His phone and wallet fell to the ground followed by a few pieces of lint. He held both items up to Birdman, "He-here you go,"

Birdman dashed the phone on the ground breaking it but pushed the wallet back into Denton's chest, "I said your watch, Mr. Reed!" He roughly grabbed Denton's wrist and burned the watch to a slag on the man's hand.

Denton screamed out as the plastic wrist strap was reduced to melted goop and the watch itself dripped off, "What the hell is your deal? This isn't a robbery?"

Birdman didn't reply. He scooped up Denton and took to the air again, carrying Mr. Reed like a damsel in distress, straight to Director Waller. Whatever the woman had planned for Denton, Birdman was sure it wouldn't be good. It left him with a bad taste in his mouth, but it was a small price to pay to protect his country.

* * *

It had been a hard-fought battle but Curtis had beaten Mereena. Though the girl was lighter than Curtis, her legs were powerhouses and her fighting style took full advantage of their reach and strength. It was difficult for him to break through her defense and close the distance, but once he did he was able to hoist her up and throw her to the mat, stunning her, then pinned her down.

As the fight closed and Curtis was announced the winner, he was immediately swept up by Kimber and Barbara, "Yo! You're doing really well, what the heck?" Kimber grinned, "If you're this good, how come I keep whooping you in training?"

Curtis gave her a mischievous smile, "How do you know I don't let you win?"

"You don't," Kimber replied then turned to Barbara, "He doesn't,"

"Hey, I believe you," the redhead replied.

"If you say so," Curtis stepped off the stage as Bruce was called up, "To be fair your first match was against Bruce. We already knew how that was going to go,"

"Well, for different reasons," Barbara winked at Curtis.

Kimber had lost her match against Bruce in the first round, though she'd definitely gotten more than her share of hits in. And while no one watching expected Kimber to come out on top, Barbara, Curtis, and Mawk each noted that she was pulling some of her punches and letting other opportunities slip from her grasp almost purposefully.

Mawk brought it up with her after the match, asking why she essentially threw the fight and she chalked it up to performance anxiety, "It's one thing to fight for your life and the lives of others on the street, you know. It's another to fight on a stage with your friends watching and judging you," she'd said. Besides that, she knew she wouldn't win anyway. Bruce was Batman. But Mawk could see the truth in her eyes as she spoke: She just couldn't bring herself to go all out against her hero and mentor.

"Hey, hey! What's with all the winking?" Kimber stepped between her boyfriend and Babs playfully, "Something I miss?"

"Just a bet we have going on," Barbara answered.

"And you're not fighting because…?"

"Oh, I fought," Barbara replied, "Dick and I had a thumb war to determine who takes on Bruce," She looked over her shoulder as Richard Grayson walked up to the mat, playfully slapping her rear as he passed, "I lost,"

Kimber's lips pursed, "Can't help but feel you did that purposefully,"

"You're one to talk," Barbara chided, "And Dick's been wanting to see how his skills have stacked up for a while now. Besides, I've left the hero thing behind. He's still got one foot in the water as a part-time Nightwing, but I'm fine with being a librarian as I further my education at GSU. On my way to a Master's, you know,"

"So 'Lady Bat' will never grace Gotham skyline ever again?"

"Nor Bludhaven's, nope," She shook her head, "Returning to it to take on that garbage last year was by necessity only. No offense but eventually it gets old, you know? Time comes when you've gotta hang up the cape. It comes at a different time for all of us," She looked at the ring as Dick and Bruce met in the center, "Well, almost all of us, I think,"

On the mat, Bruce stared at Richard, "What are you doing up here?"

Dick slid his hands out of his sweatpants pockets, "Who did you think you were goin' to fight next? You've got an odd number, remember? Brackets weren't exactly thought all the way through," He marched to the side of the ring and reached for two bo staves with padded ends.

"You haven't fought,"

"Sure I have," Dick looked over his shoulder and flashed a thumbs up, "Thumb wrestled Barbara for the shot. Hard fought battle, but I came out the victor," He retrieved the two weapons.

"That's not what I meant,"

"You mean I don't train daily. I know," He tossed one of the bo staves to Bruce who caught it easily, "You're making an awful lot of excuses, Bruce. Afraid I'll show you up?"

"Shut up and fight,"

Dick shrugged and lunged forward with a thrust of his pole initiating the fight between father and son. Bruce blocked it easily and pivoted the opposite end of his staff down to catch Dick in his temple. Dick ducked and swept his staff sideways and up. The padded end was heading straight for Bruce's groin and had he not hopped to the side, it would have hit the very sensitive area.

"Good thing you moved, Bruce. Wouldn't want Diana to be disappointed tonight,"

"You keep talking that way and tag myself in, young man," Diana warned from the floor. She redirected her attention back to Queen Mera, "Men,"

"Tell me about it," Mera looked over her shoulder at Oliver, "But while on the topic: you and Bruce. Marriage in the cards?"

"Marriage?" Diana frowned, "As in 'putting a ring on my finger'? I told you I am owned by no man. Bruce and I are exclusive, yes, but we are equals. I don't think a ceremony and me taking his last name as a show of his ownership is something I want to transform our relationship into,"

"Oh, Diana! So quick to defend!" Queen Mera laughed, "That's not at all what that means anymore. And you don't _have _to take on his last name. That tradition isn't even enforced in Atlantis anymore. It's just… a celebration of two people who wish to dedicate their lives together and become one,"

Diana looked back at the fight between Bruce and Dick. Her lover was still on the defensive as Dick swiftly jabbed at his torso, "I don't see the point of it all. Bruce is dedicated to his war on crime and I'm dedicated to righting my wrongs and protecting the world from magical threats. We already have our dedications set,"

As she spoke, Mightor and Katar passed by and caught the tail end of her statement, "That must be so sad," Katar commented.

"Excuse me?"

"On my world, we have a similar celebration of union between two or more beings who wish to become a family unit. To be betrothed is not a curse or a hindrance: it is a blessing and a right granted to all. To become a lifewarrior with another is an honor. It shows love and dedication to fighting alongside one another," He sipped at his punch, "That you view it in such a negative light fills me with sadness,"

"Bruce and I just aren't the marrying type," Diana shook her head, "We don't really see the need to put a label on what we have. Getting all dressed up just to put on a ring… I don't think it is necessary,"

"Well, you'll outlive him so I guess you don't want to be bogged down with old man Bruce," Queen Mera added.

"Old man Bruce?"

"Yes. How old is he now? Early to mid-forties? He's probably got a good fifteen to twenty more years left in him, twenty-five tops, then you'll really notice the slowdown,"

"On the bright side, if they were married, she could inherit Wayne Enterprises and become the world's first immortal CEO," Mightor offered what he thought was levity, "That'd be, like, pretty chill,"

Diana caught her breath and looked back at her lover in the ring. His first protégé was barely batting away his powerful swipes and thrusts. Dick was too preoccupied with the staff strikes coming in that he failed to account for his footing. He made a wrong step and tripped over his own feet.

Bruce caught Dick's side with a sweeping blow from his own padded staff then a downward strike. Zatanaa entered the ring just a Dick took a third lighter hit to the shoulder. She put out a hand and stopped the pummeling, "If you're done beating on your adoptive son, Bruce, I'll declare you the winner. I don't think Grayson can take much more, er, 'love',"

Dick laughed from the floor, "He's still got it,"

Bruce offered a hand to Dick, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Bruce. You know I can take a beating. Learned from the best," He accepted Bruce's help up and patted his father's back, "Gotta say you're still as spry as ever. May we all age so gracefully,"

Clark laughed and agreed, "He's holding up pretty well,"

"I could use some of that Kryptonian DNA," Bruce smiled

Dick was taken aback by Bruce's sarcasm, "Did-did you just make a joke?"

"You'll outlive us all, Bruce," Clark patted his friend's shoulder, "You're too stubborn to die,"

* * *

"She is sad," Charon held tightly onto his staff as if letting it go would mean his end, "She is sad. So sad,"

Hades flippantly shrugged, "Can't say that I care. Diana's been a bane in my side ever since she spoiled my fun on Themyscira. Oh my dearest Hippolyta, may we reunite someday soon,"

Charon continued to stare into Zeus' scrying orb. While most of the Greek pantheon had little respect or care for the wants and whims of mortal man, Charon had a growing curiosity with the plight of the small things. He'd never bothered himself with them before, after all, he was but a ferryman of the dead. His interaction with them wasn't much more than that.

But even so, he was becoming intrigued. Ever since Princess Diana of Themyscira risked her life and soul for the one called 'Batgirl', Charon was curious about just why humans elicited such a response from an immortal. Zeus had his own fun with human women in centuries past until Hera beat him into shape, but those interactions were fleeting at best. No, Diana's infatuation with humanity was something different.

He looked through Hades' portal to the boss-man, "Zeus, she is sad,"

"And?" Zeus reclined on his throne, his eyes hard and bored, "What does it matter to me that she is sad over the coming death of a man? That's what mortals do: they die. In fact, that's where the word even comes from. They are defined by dying," He rested his chin in his hand and his eyes swiveled to Hera, "And you want to grant that mortal immortality?"

Hera, also sitting on her throne, smoothed out a wrinkle in her perfect robe, "I do not _want_ to grant anything. I am simply raising the proposal she petitioned me to raise," she stated simply, "Though I do not deny the allure of the request. It would be interesting and fun to imbue another mortal with the ability to live forever,"

"Yes, yes," Charon quickly seconded the great Queen's position, "Interesting to see what would happen when the bat-mortal becomes… immortal. Would she no longer be sad?"

"You seem to be trying really hard to understand Diana's sadness, Charon," Zeus addressed the psychopomp with a harsh degree of hostility, "She's sad because he eventually will die and she won't be around him anymore. If he is immortal, they can live forever in their perverse happily-ever-after,"

"But even the dead continue existing in the underworlds," Charon countered.

"Unlike you and I, my ferryman, demigods and immortals such as our dear Diana down there have a hard time traveling to the land between. And even if they are able to arrive in the correct afterlife and find their loved one," Hades grinned maliciously, "There's no guarantee the dead will be as they were when they were living,"

Charon looked back at the scene. Diana was now speaking with Queen Mera and they seemed to be having a slight argument, "What are they saying?"

Hermes piped up this time, "Lil' spat about that Oliver Queen fellow. Diana's trying to convince the queen of Atlantis to speak with him and, ugh, _apologize_," Hermes stuck his tongue out at the scrying window, "Really, she deserves better than a business man that plays dress up. She's a queen, for god's sake!"

"What?"

"It wasn't funny the first time, Zeus! You know it is a figure of speech," Hermes shook his helmeted head, "How long before Poseidon can return to Atlantis? This royal may need some guidance,"

"She has access to him through the arcane," Hera replied, "He's just not eager to face her yet. The matter of the Old One is still fresh in his memory,"

The conversation of the gods descended into idle drivel and Charon tuned them out. He stared intently at Diana through the magical window and let his mind wander. It had been so long since a mortal had been granted immortality. And after the issue with Hercules... Well, it would definitely be up to debate among the gods.

"Diana…" Charon smiled behind his faceplate, "How badly do you want him? For what would he use the gift of eternal life?"

* * *

Birdman touched down on the roof of the Cadmus building with Denton Reed in his arms. Waiting for him on the landing pad was Director Waller and behind her stood one of her military lackeys, "Denton Reed, as promised. Unconscious and only slightly injured,"

Director Waller nodded and motioned for the soldier to relieve Birdman of his prey, "Good job, Raymond. We will learn what Mr. Reed knows and who he's told it to; then we will dispose of him,"

"Not gonna, like, wipe his memory or something?"

She gave him a funny look.

"You know," Birdman mimed pressing a trigger and then a flash of light with his hands, "Like men in black legends, and stuff? G-men?"

Waller squared up to Birdman, "Just what do you think we are? Magicians? You think we have some sort of magic wand that mysteriously and completely voids our problems on a whim?"

Birdman stagger-stepped back, hands raised in defense, "I'm sorry, Director-Ma'am. I thought-"

"Shut up, Raymond," She turned around to leave with the soldier, "Head to Falcon 7. Get your wings checked out. The alignment looks off like you knocked them against something. Also have them check your harness. It's probably too tight,"

Birdman saluted as the powerful woman exited the ramp then he took to the sky and checked his wings status. She had been right: the Nth metal wings that gifted him with flight were slightly askew and he remembered bumping into the brick building upon seeing the faceless man. He'd make arrangements with Falcon 7 immediately.

* * *

Sitting in a dumpster for any length of time was not at all a comfortable endeavor. It was cramped, unbearably warm and this particular one smelled of old cheese and moldy socks. This was a disgusting dumpster, and he would know: he regularly went through trash bins and even to him, this one was unbearable. But it was worth it.

He adjusted his position slightly by relaxing one leg and resting more on the knee of the other. He felt a sickly cold feeling soak into the fabric against his knee and he knew he'd need new pants for sure. Even in the face of this disappointment, he didn't give up on his mission and a few minutes later, he was rewarded.

Through his binoculars he watched the winged man from earlier fly away from the roof of the office building empty-handed, "Hurm, It seems my informant has been given new residence," he directed his eyes down and committed the address of the generic building to memory. The next step would be to learn who owned the building and, if any of the spaces were rented out, to whom they were rented.

"I think he went this way!" A distant but closing in voice of false authority. A stampede of confused but determined feet clad in cheap, mass produced combat sneakers. The slight jingling of keys clipped to a belt of tools and weapons. Police.

The man in the trash quickly dipped below the rim and the large plastic lid quietly fell back into place, guided by a purple-gloved hand. Moments later, the stampede arrived and GCPD filled the corner alley where he hid.

"Check the boxes and check the doors. Leave no stone unturned! We gotta find this guy!"

"What you say he looks like again, Duke?"

"No face, Manny, he got no face an' a purple and orange outfit!"

"You sure we ain't lookin' for a bad Joker look-a-like or a Jokerz member?" Other officers snickered at Manny's comment.

"Do you know where you are, Manny?" Duke chastised, "The Bats drove the Jokerz outta this side of town last week. An' the Mutants ain't dumb enough to try and muscle in anytime soon. Don't you read the memos? Bart, Allen, check that dumpster, yeh?"

The man in the dumpster held his breath and did his best to quietly sift under more and more trash until he was nearly covered neck deep in yesterday's lunches, month-old meats, trash bags and old piss-scented clothes. He felt something crawling up his pant leg.

The bin door opened up and a cop's face peered down into the fetid mix. Almost instantly, she gagged, "Nope. Uh-uh. No way he's in there," she slammed the lid down on the trash bin causing more scattering of the insects that called the bin home.

Yep, he would definitely need new pants.


	18. Part 1: Chapter 18

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth) **and then Act 2 **( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar ) **if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Bruce and Curtis were going at it in the ring, throwing punches and dodging kicks. And unlike the fight between Bruce and Kimber, Curtis held no reservations about taking the formidable fighter down. Bruce would kick and Curt would block. For a period of time Bruce dominated the fight and those watching expected it to all be over soon enough. Bruce would win, it was just a matter of time. Curtis deflected a fast-moving punch and simultaneously jabbed his left hand just below Bruce's deltoid. The two reset their stances but Bruce rubbed his shoulder.

"You missed the nerve bundle,"

"On purpose. Didn't want to take you out of commission, boss. Need someone to pick up our slack tonight," Curt cheekily replied, "Don't think you can go easy on me,"

"Wouldn't dream of it," For the first time in hours, Batman's voice echoed through the cave and inadvertently demanded everyone's attention. Everyone could see it in his eyes and his body language that he'd shifted mentalities. No longer was this simply a light-hearted match between friends; Bruce was Batman and he was training.

His next punch came at the end of a leap. Its reach was close to his body and, when Curtis swiftly backed away from the strike, Bruce snapped his arm to its full length in a reverse hammer fist which caught Curtis in the cheek. As the young man staggered from the strike, Bruce planted his right foot then shot his left foot out for Curtis' side.

Curtis was barely able to raise his elbow to block the hit but the blow still sent him across the ring. He rolled to his feet and narrowly dodged a heel strike. The moment Bruce's foot made contact with the ring floor, Curt pivoted to sweep the leg; however, Bruce was ready for this. He jumped up and over Curtis, and held onto the boundary ropes.

Curt stood quickly and rushed to attack but found himself airborne a moment later with a stiff pain sprawling over his chest. Bruce had clotheslined him to the ground. Curtis hit the mat with the wind knocked out of him and struggled to get to his feet and catch his breath at the same time. Bruce afforded him no such luxury.

Another volley of punches and Curtis was on the ropes just barely blocking each one. With each block, his forearms and hands were growing more numb. In a last ditch effort he risked his fingers and caught one of Bruce's fist and yanked it to the side. Bruce's body twisted away from him and he already knew what was coming next.

Sure enough, Bruce went with the new momentum and threw his leg up and back to kick Curtis in the shoulder, but Curtis was ready. He caught Bruce's foot and kicked at Bruce's other leg. He hit his mentor behind the knee and Bruce buckled to the ground.

Eagerly, Curtis grappled with his mentor on the ground. At the start Curtis had the advantage but Bruce was quickly gaining control of the situation. His arms wrapped around Curtis' waist and he threw him to the side with a grunt. As soon as Curtis hit the mat, Bruce attempted to pull Curtis into an arm bar.

Curtis hissed in anticipation of his elbow being stretched to just beyond its breaking point. It had all happened so fast, he'd barely had time to register the throw. With a quick wiggle, he managed to wrench his hand free from Bruce's grasp before the hold could be solidified. Curtis clamped his hands together in front of his chest and quickly wrapped his far leg over Bruce's right leg and then stretched and twisted. In a mere second, Curtis was free of Bruce's hold and Bruce was down on his belly with Curtis on top of him.

Curt's knee dug into Bruce's back. Bruce attempted to twist Curtis from his back but that presented itself to be not such a great idea as Curtis only dug his knee in deeper. He knew a myriad of ways to escape this position but they all involved breaking something and doing damage that months of therapy would have to account for. All except three methods, but he'd already tried one and Curtis' leverage prevented it from working.

Bruce tried the second, but Curtis didn't relent at first. His grip was iron tight and his knee like a dagger, but then Bruce felt Curtis slip up: his left hand's grip went a bit lax. It was just enough for Bruce to wiggle his right arm out of place and-

_Nope._

Alarm bells went off in Bruce's head as a shock of pain seared from his wrist to his shoulder, _That shouldn't be hurting. Why is that hurting?_ His mind replayed the knife hand Curtis had hit his shoulder with earlier in the match. The boy had definitely missed the nerve bundle, so what had happened? It was almost as if even though he'd missed, Curtis had still hit his target.

_Questions for later, _Bruce inwardly cursed and relaxed his arm. As he did, he felt Curtis' grip tighten again and he realized what had happened. The whole fight after the off-center shoulder strike Curtis was just trying to get him in this position. This was his goal. Curtis hadn't slipped up in the knife hand earlier nor in weakened his grip unconsciously moments ago: he'd given Bruce an out to exploit on purpose. This fight was a stress test; Curtis, ever the tech geek, was 'debugging' him. And as much as Bruce hated to admit it, Curtis had him beat.

To the shock of everyone watching, Bruce tapped out.

Curtis slid off his mentor's back and offered his hand. Bruce stood on his own accord and stared at him. Curtis felt a pang of fear as the icy blue eyes gazed into his soul. It'd been a long while since he'd been scared of his mentor, over a year actually. But the steely look he received from Bruce filled him with dread.

"All good?" Curtis forced a nervous grin.

Bruce turned to the approaching Zatanna.

Kimber watched from the rocky ground as Zatanna raised Curtis' hand in victory over Bruce to the silent shock of those watching. No one expected Curtis to win. More specifically, no one expected Bruce to lose. He was _the_ Batman... and it was with that thought that Kimber entered her fight. It was a foregone conclusion that he would win. However, Curtis had obviously entered with a different mindset.

As he ducked under the ropes and Diana and Clark traded places on the mat with Bruce, Kimber approached him, "What was that?"

"I won," Curtis could hardly believe it himself.

"How?"

"He out-played me," Bruce answered as he stepped off the last stair, "He knew he couldn't outfight me or overpower me, so he went in with a plan to put me in a situation I would only be able to escape using more... violent means,"

"There were two other ways you could have escaped," Curt added quietly, his eyes studying Bruce.

"Three," Bruce harshly corrected.

"Exactly," Curtis continued watching Bruce, "So why didn't you use one?"

Bruce glared at him and a tense moment of silence was shared between Batman and Robin, "Do you want some water? I can bring back two bottles," And without waiting for a response, Bruce walked to the refreshments table.

Kimber firmly pushed Curtis' shoulder, forcing him to face her, "What happened, Curt? Did he forget about the non-maiming methods? Sometimes I forget about the non-maiming methods..."

"No," Curt shook his head as he watched his mentor nab two water bottles from the table and engage in the bare minimum of small talk with Mightor and Katar, "Three months ago he was able to break that hold, no sweat. And I even gave him an opening; he tried to take it, but he couldn't. I showed him something in that ring," He looked at Kimber, "He's the greatest hero I've ever known. His career spans nearly my entire life. But he's only human... and he's getting older. What happens then?"

* * *

Soldiers rolled Denton Reed, still unconscious and now strapped to a gurney, through the Cadmus facility. Ahead of them, Amanda Waller strode with purpose down the sparse hallway. Her mind was filled with all the problems and issues that plagued Cadmus, from the issues of securing funding from its multiple backers to basic security threats. The most notable and humiliating security breach had been within her own home.

Despite her security staff patrolling and her camera systems rolling, Batman had entered her home undetected by neither staff nor system. She knew he was good, but that was _too_ good and it set her on edge. She could only hope that whatever it was Hamilton was doing on his laptop would prove fruitful. She hated having to pay people to do things other than what she wanted them to do, but to get a leg up on the capable Bruce Wayne, she would do anything.

Her small group approached a fork in the road: a set of double doors to the left and a single door to the right. Director Waller turned to her men, "Take Mr. Reed to the containment deck. I will let Dr. Strange know he has a new patient,"

The men transporting the unconscious Mr. Reed shuffled from behind her and entered through the double doors. Waller was left alone. As soon as the doors closed, she raised her wrist and spoke, "Status report, Dr. Tala,"

"The man is still sedated, Director,"

"I'm coming down," She marched to the single door entrance and unlocked it with her keycard, "Were you able to run face recognition on the subject?"

"I was, results are being parsed as we speak,"

"Excellent," Waller stepped into the new room, an elevator, and pressed a button for the ground floor, "I want to know who this man was and how he ended up on the other side,"

The elevator opened up on her chosen floor and she marched out and down the hall. Lining the walkway were well-armed men and women of Cadmus and numerous doors, each one guarding a secret the world would never know. On a whim, she stopped at one and stepped inside, "Dr. Milo,"

The man with the terrible bowl cut spun in his chair and faced the Director with an empty smile, "Director Waller! What a pleasure," he stood from his seat and extended a hand in greeting, "To what do I owe this honor?"

"Cut the crap, Milo," She hated a suck-up. She walked past the insincere scientist and peered into the monitor, "How is project KR-1 doing?"

"Much better than in recent days. Brainwave activity is no longer spiking, his muscles are no longer spasming and the radiation burns are healing nicely. A few more chemical baths and the wound should be gone,"

Waller stared at the clone through the monitor and slightly hummed in satisfaction. The clone hadn't been cheap to create. Procuring Lex's private research before the sale of LexCorp was difficult enough, but to then fix the unstable formula that gave birth to Bizarro as well as use the full sequenced Kryptonian DNA provided by STAR Labs? Waller was glad that Cadmus' budget was often as deep as the American public's pockets.

In the monitor, she could see the bound Kryptonian wiggle and shake with weakened, blinded confusion and rage. But the red radiation lights and the durable titanium bonds binding him to the wall kept him in place despite all his efforts. She looked at a section of the screen where the clone's health readout was consistently printed out, "What's this?"

"Why, the clone's status, Amanda," Dr. Milo gave the woman another condescending smile, "Part of my refined fine-tuned monitoring system ensuring the most up-to-date readouts on our little Superboy,"

"Not the graphs and numbers, Achilles. Those spikes in his brain electricity,"

Milo studied the monitor and shook his head, "I don't see anything wrong," He pointed to a few low peaks, "He's struggling against restraints as he tends to do and that causes a rise in his brain activity, but other than that, there's nothing there,"

"I understand the threshold levels, Milo, I'm not an idiot," Director Waller's anger rose. Oh, how she lamented it had been Dr. Desmond who'd been 'let go' and not this one, "I'm talking about the great, irregular spikes in activity," she waited a moment for another one to appear and when it did, she pointed it out, "There! What is that?"

"Oh, that? During his outing, little Superboy got a taste of freedom. It seems he's really taken in by the thought of the endless open spaces of the desert. He is thinking-,"

"End it," Waller interrupted him, "Ramp up his conditioning. If he's going to have all the power of the Kryptonian by the end of his development, I want to ensure he's fully under our control. He's a weapon; he shouldn't be 'thinking'," Amanda walked to the exit.

"There's always the redundancy to keep him in check, Amanda. It's done well for your task force, after all," A trace of disgruntlement laced the doctor's voice, the first true emotion from him in the whole interaction.

"He is expensive. If I can control him without the risk of killing him, then I'll gladly take that," Waller looked at him out of the corner of her eye and noted his veiled disapproval of her more extreme… methods.

"Yes, you wouldn't want to kill the Superboy, would you?"

"Don't call him that, Dr. Milo," She glared at her subordinate, "Call him by his designation and nothing else. These pet names you've given KR-1, 'Superboy' and 'Connor', cut it out and refer to him - no - _it_ as such," She left Dr. Milo with his work and continued down to Dr. Tala's wing.

As she walked, she received another call from Hamilton. She answered quickly then immediately regretted the obvious eagerness the action relayed. She hated letting people know when they had something she wanted, so she waited a second before speaking into the receiver, "Speak,"

"You'll be happy to know that I've narrowed down our data thief to Gotham City," Hamilton's smooth and calm voice came back to her, "Whoever this is made such a clean getaway. I had to dust off a few old techniques, but I was still able to track the data packets to their true destination,"

"Congratulations," Amanda paused before the door to Tala's wing, "You've narrowed down the destination of the data Batman has to Gotham City. You're prize will be in the mail,"

"I'm serious, Amanda. A few more hours and I could have an exact address,"

"Fine. When you get a break in your oh so busy schedule, please find something to spur Milo into action on his splicing progress," Amanda swiped her badge at the magnetic lock to Dr. Tala's wing, "I wouldn't want his fixation to remain on KR-1 alone. He has other work,"

"Understood, Amanda," Emil affirmed, "Give me one more hour to lay some groundwork and I will meet with him. I can always pick up this trail tomorrow,"

Amanda hung up her phone. No need for goodbyes or other such formalities with Emil. Unlike so many others, he got it. Time was too precious to spend on pleasantries. There was always something to do; right now, she had to check on the facility's newest 'guest'. She entered Dr. Tala's space.

"Director Waller," Tala greeted, "How nice to see you," She turned to a man bound in a glass room and dressed in all white, "Say hello to the Director, Julian,"

The man in the white room growled, "Let me out, witch!" The dark-skinned man's sour disposition seemed to darken the very bright room he stood in, "The hordes of Gehenna are endless and must be held back!"

"The hordes will have their day," Tala dismissively responded to her prisoner.

"So, our mystery man has a name," Waller strode up next to the purple-haired sorceress, "'Julian'. Does 'Julian' have a last name?"

"DuBois," Tala dutifully answered, "We found his wife, Angela DuBois on the edge of Chinatown in Gotham City. Recent detective with the GCPD. She listed her husband missing a year ago during the Near Apocalypse. After six months of searching turned up nothing and he was pronounced dead,"

"And dead he shall remain," Amanda Waller approached the glass divider separating her from Julian, "He's been on the other side for a year, then? I wonder what that does to a man,"

"Roughly a year, yes," Tala affirmed, "Though he seems adamant that he's been there longer so perhaps mental fatigue and confusion?"

"How long were you on the other side, Julian?"

"Eons," Julian replied, "The hordes of Gehenna are-"

"Are endless," Waller interrupted impatiently, "Yes, we've heard that. What I want to know is why you think you've been gone for ages when it's been just over a year. Mind explaining that to me?"

The man on the other side of the glass gave a strained look then took a deep breath to calm himself down. After a moment to collect his thoughts, he spoke in a calm voice, "I would like my one phone call, please,"

"And the poor souls in hell would like ice water. Breaks my heart. But we're not the police and you're not going anywhere until I get the answers I'm looking for," She dragged up a chair and sat evenly before him, "And I have all the time in the world, Julian,"

Defeated, Julian slid to the ground and held his head in his hands.

"I can be extremely patient, Julian," Waller continued to pry at him, "I'm known to be quite willing to wait for what I want and I have no further meetings for the day. What I am _not_ known for is my compassion. Tell me about the other side, what you call 'Gehenna',"

The man still remained silent, so Director Waller continued, "Fine. I'll start. I have heard of Gehenna before. The Good Book speaks of Gehenna in Matthew and Mark and, Dr. Tala can correct me if I am wrong, it seems to be a sort of stand-in for Hell. Similar to Sheol in the Old Testament,"

Tala cleared her throat, "Not exactly the same, Director. Sheol was seen as a sort of underworld for the Israelites; Gehenna was not. The Old Testament speaks of Gehenna as a place of suffering and child sacrifice. Later a sort of purgatory for those who died and were considered unrighteous. It is literally translated as 'Valley of Hinnom' and though its earthly location is up for debat, a few locations could be a match,"

"Thank you, Dr. Tala," Waller gave the witch masquerading as a doctor a curt nod then faced Julian again, "You see? I can be very gracious. I'm not asking you to shoot a puppy nor am I demanding you throttle a kitten. I am asking you questions about where you've been,"

"Gehenna," Julian replied, "The doctor speaks the truth. I don't know what it is truly called but… I grew up in the faith. I left it as a teenager… but _that place… _I found my faith in that place. I had nothing else left. At first I was alone... Then came the hordes. The endless hordes," As he spoke, his voice grew more and more shaky.

Amanda Waller sat up straight in her chair. Up till this point Julian had been disagreeable at best and combative at worst. This vulnerability was different and as happy as she was that they had finally broken him down and he was giving answers, she couldn't help but worry about the content of said answers, "Mr. DuBois, how did you get to the other side?"

* * *

Oliver sat with his back against the cave wall. His eyes scanned over the whole of Batman's hideout. All that he could see, at least. He knew from his first visit here that the cave system extended much further than he'd ever be able to see from this point and he wouldn't be surprised if the twisting caverns and caves were winding all throughout the ground below Gotham. He took another handful of granola and carefully portioned pieces into his mouth. Curtis and Mawk approached the veteran archer.

"Care for some company?"

Oliver looked at Mawk, "Depends," he responded, "He here to jab his knee into my back, too?"

The two younger men exchanged uneasy looks but their worries were dispelled by Oliver's heavy laugh, "You should see the look on your faces! Ha! I'm just joshing with you both," he patted the ground next to him, "Take a load off and watch Diana and Clark beat the snot outta each other,"

"You seem to really be enjoying this," Curt noted.

"Hey, Clark's been gettin' wailed on by a bunch of heavy hitters and now I get to see Lady Wonder Woman smack him around. And I can't deny you beating Bruce wasn't entertaining as hell," He laughed again, "Watching him squirm face down under your hold, Rob. Catharsis by proxy, I tell you,"

"Catharsis by proxy, indeed," Queen Mera approached, hotdog in hand, "Mind if I sit next to you?"

Oliver's demeanor shifted from playful to slightly on edge, "It's a free country," His response was barely friendly.

Queen Mera pushed the callus response aside and parked in the free space next to Oliver. She took a nervous bite from the hotdog then looked at him, "Guess we're two peas in a pod, huh?"

"Excuse me?"

"Out in the first round?"

"Please, we both got bad matchups, but at least I didn't beg for my whoopin'," He grinned, "I hope your fight against Superman was worth it,"

"I had some feelings to work through," she nodded, "I heard what you were saying. Couldn't help but overhear," She leaned into Oliver's ear and whispered, "You don't exactly have an inside voice,"

"Then how do I sneak around Star City so easily?" He whispered back.

"You don't," Mera straightened up, "The citizens just pretend they don't see you. They do it out of pity," She took a second, more confident bite from her hotdog after she heard Oliver's laughter.

"So, you figured me out, huh?"

"You're not a complex man, Ollie,"

"'Ollie'? Since when did you use nicknames?"

Mawk leaned into Curtis' ear, "Is she… flirting?"

Curtis made a face halfway between disgust and intrigue, "I… think she is?"

Mawk looked again at Oliver and Queen Mera completely lost. Neither noticed Mawk staring at them as they continued their casual conversation and when it became apparent that they never would acknowledge his or Curtis' presence, Mawk looked back at his friend and mouthed, "Why?"

Curtis shrugged. While he did find the situation just as awkward as Mawk found it, it was for entirely a whole different reason. Only days ago Curtis and Kimber had been on a double date with Bruce and Diana and witnessed a scene at an Italian restaurant. Mawk hadn't witnessed Oliver arriving alone, sitting alone, waiting alone, drinking alone and then leaving. Alone. That Oliver was even entertaining the queen was a show of either grand forgiveness or grand naiveté. He could only hope Ollie was as shrewd with women as he let on, "C'mon, I've got another round coming up and I need your help with something,"

"Yeah, sure man. I got you," the two men stood and left Oliver with the queen.

"Where are they going?" Mera looked over Oliver's shoulder as the two 'sidekicks' walked off toward the fighting ring.

"Hell if I know," he faced her, "Half the time Mawk's doing his own thing anyway. Gotta let kids have a little space, you know?"

"You don't have children, Ollie,"

"Thank goodness,"

Ten minutes later, the fight between Diana and Clark was resolved. It had taken just over fifteen minutes for Clark to best Diana. Unlike Bruce, Diana had never encountered either of Clark's Kryptonian fighting styles before so she did not know what to expect. At the beginning of the fight, Clark started off with some basic boxing with a side of Judo thrown in the mix and for the first eight minutes of the fight, he relied on this mix to lull the Amazonian warrior princess into a false sense of security.

Because she had never seen Klurkor nor Torquasim-Rao before that day, she assumed that this elementary combination was the extent of what they had to offer. She blocked each fist with precise movements and avoided his grappling with nimble feet. A few times, she was able to catch him below the chin with a fist or a foot, but never with enough power to knock him down. Clark was lighter on his feet than he let on… even without flight.

But eventually came the switch and just like with Bruce, the first time Clark used his foot in the fight Diana was caught off-guard. However, unlike Bruce, Diana wasn't as quick to adapt. From there on she was on the defensive and eventually Clark was able to overwhelm her. This solidified Clark to fight in the finals. This solidified Curtis' fight with Clark for the crown.

"Hope you're not nervous," Mawk rubbed Curtis' back, "After that stunt you pulled in your last match, I'm partially thinking Superman will tear you apart,"

"If I wasn't nervous before, I am now," Curtis sighed. He turned to Zatanna, "Could you, like, check the magical wards? The ones suppressing superhuman abilities? You, you know, for my peace of mind?"

Zatanna smiled, "Sure. Why? Nervous?"

"He has no reason to be," Dick wrapped an arm around Curtis' neck, "In my book, he's already won," He slapped Curtis' hand, leaving a crumpled five dollar bill in it.

"What's this?"

"I heard about the bet Babs and you made as you entered the ring. I bet on Bruce taking you down. Looks like we were both wrong, eh? That's what I owe her,"

Curtis sighed again, "I was hoping she'd forgotten about that,"

Dick's voice dropped low, "No one's forgetting about that for a while, Curt. You don't just beat Batman in a fight and move on from it," His voice returned to its usual light-hearted tone, "Now give Babs our money. She's earned it,"

Dick and Mawk watched Curtis walk off to the group of women sitting against the Batmobile to speak with Barbara, "What do you think they're talking about?" Dick posed the question to Mawk.

"Probably girl stuff," Mawk answered simply.

"...and that's when I realized that it was in the wrong gear, so I had to shift _again_ just to hit the throttle properly," Mereena continued her story of just how she'd crashed Batgirl's cycle into the BatCave wall, "But I guess Kim's bike is on some sort of hair trigger because like a eel out of hell, it shot forward and rammed the wall! Completely out of nowhere!" She pouted, "I mean, the damage wasn't that bad. She fixed it within a few hours, I think,"

Dinah laughed, "Gives a whole new meaning to 'crotch rocket', I guess. Though, I have to ask Mereena… What on earth made you think you could ride that motorcycle? Have you ridden one before?"

"No," The Atlantean princess admitted, "But I have ridden plenty of our royal mounts! You'd think it would be just as similar! The handlebars are just stiff reins and the foot control pegs? Spurs,"

"I'm just amazed you didn't kill yourself," Barbara muttered, "Bruce's toys have a pretty steep learning curve," She shivered at memories of her own experiences learning to ride the customized vehicles of which Batman was so fond. She looked at the smashed corner of the cave wall and couldn't help but laugh at the young girl's failure.

As the others laughed, Kimber remained frowning and leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, "I don't see what's so funny,"

"Babs?" Curtis approached carefully with the money in hand, "Looks like you proved both Dick and myself wrong,"

She leaned forward playfully from her seated position, "Did no such thing, Curt. All I did was bet you'd come out on top. You're the one who threw the punches," She accepted the cash and stuffed it in her pocket, "Honestly, easiest ten bucks I ever made,"

Kimber watched the exchange, "So you actually bet Curtis would beat Bruce in the ring? No offense to my BF, but no one could have anticipated the results of that fight,"

Barbara shrugged, "I've been here almost since the beginning. Started in college, so at least been watching the Bat work for ten years. Maybe more, maybe less. Stopped keeping track. And Dick? Dick's been around for longer,"

"So why did he bet against you?"

"He enjoys playing the contrarian. Besides, it's not like he's short of cash. Between his inheritance from Haley's Circus, the life insurance money from his parents death and being the adoptive son of Bruce Wayne, Grayson may as well change his name to 'Greenson',"

Mereena groaned, "That's a terrible joke,"

"But not inaccurate," Barbara teased, "This ten bucks is my lunch on Monday. Some of us have to work for a living,"

Dinah, Curtis, and Kimber all nodded. Only Mereena looked confused, "Wait, you all have jobs? Like normal people jobs? Why don't Bruce and Oliver bankroll all of you? Heck, I could drown you all with sunken treasures to keep you all comfortably afloat,"

"Yeah, because that's what I need," Curtis rolled his eyes and turned on his heels, "A handout," He trotted back to the ring.

Mereena watched him go, "Man, what has his kelp in a knot?"

* * *

He sank back into the sands and watched the caravan cross the sandy dunes. He didn't like hiding any more than he liked running away, but sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. He only hoped they wouldn't notice or sense him nearby. Cleansing the world of Ra's al Ghul's remaining minions and schools was no problem, but he had to get there first and he didn't fancy a fight with one of the Justice League, especially not _her_.

She was here. The Sorceress. While he didn't mind tangling with the likes of Batgirl, Green Arrow or even Zatanna, Azra'il did have a short list of Justice League members he'd never want to face. And while both Batman and Wonder Woman were high on that short list, the sorceress was number one. Fate was a powerful foe, well-versed in ancient incantations and mystical magiks that could post a dire threat to him. And day by day the woman grew stronger while Azra'il, forced to trek the globe, grew weaker. So he was forced to hide. He hated it.

The woman trekked across the dunes of Egypt riding on the back of a camel, led by two men also on camels. She didn't seem to notice him and soon she and her companions faded into the distant desert. A spirit of relief washed over Azra'il and he slowly rose from his hidden position. The sands of the desert cascaded down his armor like water droplets, magically avoiding getting in the nooks and crannies of his armor. The sorceress' day would come, Icthultu would see to that.

His grip on his sword tightened. He'd given Fate enough thought, it was now time to fight. Time to purge. He turned to the setting sun and marched west. He'd given thought to flying to the League of Assassins training camp beneath the sands, but now that Fate was here… it would probably be best to keep a low profile.

So marching through sand, he went into the sunset, but he had to hurry. There was a nagging at the back of his head that something was wrong in Icthultu's realm. The eldritch entity bound to him may have been separated from his realm but he was still connected to it… somehow. It was a part of him, after all. It didn't all make sense to Azra'il, but it didn't have to make sense, that's what faith was for. All that mattered is that Icthultu could feel the realm and the realm was out of balance.

* * *

**Author's Note: So, so sorry for the lack of updates recently. This chapter was out so much later than anticipated (according to my own deadlines) but I have a good reason! I got married last week! For about a week and a half I haven't really been writing as heavily as all my extracurricular focus went into the wedding (I didn't even draw that much either). Well, I'm slowly catching up to writing. After posting this chapter, I'll be working on the next one. Please read and review. I read and appreciate every review and do my best to respond to every one, too. **

**As you wait for the next chapter, check out these few one shot side-stories I've written: **( s/13632356/1/Justice-Lords-Limitless-Side-Stories ) **You can also find it on my profile. I would appreciate you checking those out, too!**


	19. Part 1: Chapter 19

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)****and then Act 2****( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Curtis hit the padded mat for the second time. The match between him and Clark had started less than a minute ago and he was already wanting to call it quits. As he struggled to his feet, his opponent was also going through his own thoughts.

_This feels so wrong,_ Clark sprinted forward to take advantage of the downed Curtis, _Like beating up a child,_ He swung his fist for Curtis and the young man ducked, _Well, I guess I kind of am. He's what? At least 21, right?_ he thought as another one of his punches was avoided, _Right?_ He second-guessed himself, _Rao, I hope he's old enough to drink._

Curtis batted away another fist and returned with a hammerfist of his own, catching Clark just under the eye. The two men staggered away from each other. The various cheers from the audience echoed in the cave. The brackets had come to a surprising head: Superman versus Robin. Not at all a match up anyone would have expected… Except Barbara. And she was ten dollars richer for it.

Curtis dove forward and tackled the depowered Man of Steel to the ground. The two rolled on the ground for a time before Curtis finally got the hold he wanted and tightened. He felt his captive's muscles flex as Clark attempted to break free of Curtis' hold. What happened next would determine if the middling amount of testing and prep he'd done with Mawk mere minutes before the last match ended held any merit.

Clark floundered for a bit as he tried to break Curt's hold but found he didn't have enough room to exert enough force, so he started to squirm. It was similar to the way Clark had eluded Bruce's grapple a few hours ago, the whole 'pig squirming' tactic, and immediately Curtis felt his control slipping.

_Well, shit, _Curtis managed to interlock his fingers even more but Clark didn't even seem to notice.

The powerhouse of a man wiggled like an earthworm and managed to adjust his position slightly within Curtis' grasp. Even so, he could not free himself and Curtis found a bit of satisfaction in that fact. For a fleeting moment, he actually thought he could win this thing. He'd already beaten Batman, was he about to beat Superman as well? _No, don't let it go to your head, _he warned himself, _Because that's when you slip up_. But he had to admit he seemed pretty close to a victory.

"You did good, son. You can hold a pig" Superman's voice broke his thoughts, "At least barely," Clark added with a hint of humor, "But there's more to wrangling a pig than holding on to it. Just because you've got a hold, doesn't mean you're in control," Superman warned.

_Pfft, _Curtis scoffed in his mind, _as if,_ "Let go, huh? You're tapping out, Mr. Kent?"

"Oh, no," Clark replied. He wriggled a bit more but it proved a futile endeavor to escaping, "Just giving you a chance, is all,"

"No thanks, Mr. Kent," Curtis tightened his hold, "I'm fine where I am,"

"Alright," Clark sounded a bit muffled now with his face partially buried in Curtis' shirt, "Well, final rule in wrangling a pig, Curt: Sometimes you gotta know when to let go,"

As soon as the words were said, Curtis felt his entire body lifted from the safety of the mat and into the air. Immediately, Clark's wiggling came to mind and Curtis realized the man hadn't been trying to escape. The whole time he'd been adjusting his position. He felt his heart leap into his throat as Clark stood to his full height, Curtis still holding on but this time for an entirely different reason.

At the apex of height, there was a slight pause as one on top of a rollercoaster. A moment of clarity just before disaster. In that moment he caught a glimpse of his mentor. Bruce had a slight smile on his face and a mischievous look in his eye. _What- _Curtis' thought was incomplete as he was flung down at record speed into the mat. Pain and surprise exploded from his spine on contact. Even with the magical wards and the padded floor, he was almost sure he'd broken his back. He let go and heard footsteps as Zatanna approached him.

"You alright there, Curt?"

He rolled around as the pain subsided and groaned.

"He's fine," He heard Clark respond on his behalf, "C'mon, kid. Up and at'em," Clark grabbed Curtis' hand and pulled him to his feet.

Curtis opened his eyes in time to watch as Zatanna raised Clark's hand in victory and couldn't help but smile, "Well played," he said between groans.

Clark smiled back warmly, "Can't take all the credit," he said, "Your boss gave me the tip,"

Curtis looked immediate to Bruce, remembering the curious smile that had played over his mentor's normally stoic face. Bruce was chatting with Kimber and Mawk but the moment his eyes caught Curtis' his eyebrows raised and his lips curled inwards in almost a 'who, me?' sort of look. It was the silliest, most human face Bruce Wayne had ever made, "No way…"

"Don't take my word for it," Clark continued as the two fighters were escorted off the mat, "Go ask him yourself,"

And that's exactly what Curtis did, "You're having a good time,"

Bruce and Kimber both looked at Curtis, "What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"You seem to be rather high spirits for coming in, at best, third place,"

Bruce's eyes narrowed but not because of any malice. Instead, the corners of his mouth had curled up and his cheeks had narrowed his eyes. He was smiling, "You beat me using inside knowledge. You knew about an injury and exploited that weakness. Great job," He patted Curtis' shoulder approvingly.

"Okay," Curtis moved Bruce's hand from his shoulder, "And Clark?"

Kimber looked from Bruce to Curtis then back to Bruce, "Could you just tell him?"

"He told you?"

"No, but I hate being out of the loop,"

Bruce leaned against the cold cave wall, apparently relishing the two's eagerness to know what he knew. Finally, after savoring the moment a bit longer, he spoke, "You committed,"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You committed," Bruce repeated, casually taking a sip from his water bottle, "You 'debugged' me so I did the same to you. Your fight with Oliver; you already knew how to beat him. Your fight against Mereena; get in close to prevent her from kicking. Your fight against me was methodical; exploit my injury and my mercy. You went into each fight with a game plan and carried it out. That's your weakness,"

"I adapted to Clark's kicks!" Curtis countered.

Bruce immediately fired back, "Because you knew he could kick. And I saw you with Mawk in the corner doing some last minute grappling practice. You thought you knew the extent of what he was capable of; you were wrong. You tested me, I returned the favor,"

"You used Clark to see if my plan would change on the fly,"

"Yes," Bruce raised the bottle to his lips again and took another, longer, sip.

Kimber looked at him curiously, "Are you laughing?"

Bruce's face reddened just slightly, "Of course not," he said. But the slight strange huffs of breath said otherwise. He did his best to guard his small smile with the spout of his bottle but it couldn't be completely hidden from the girl watching him closely.

"You _are_ laughing!" She exclaimed quietly. She looked at Curtis with an incredulous look on her face, "Even in defeat, Batman wins," she threw both hands in the air like a referee.

Curtis gave a look of exasperation to Bruce, "You're enjoying this, aren't you? Telling Clark how to beat me? Some sort of revenge?"

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. He said with a slight teasing tone, "I am vengeance,"

* * *

The room was silent in the wake of Mr. DeBois' story. Director Waller, seated in her chair, felt a rare pang of pity for the man captive and bound before her. After everything he'd gone through, fighting for untold eons, just to be locked away, it was nothing short of tragic. Even so, it was necessary. The man had come across their own Enigma Gate and the information he was sharing was priceless. What would have come from expeditions across the gate and at the cost of millions in funding and probably dozens of lives had been handed to her on a silver platter. She would have been a fool to give into her heart and let the man go.

Dr. Tala stood behind Director Waller. She, too, held private thoughts for the man before her; though her feelings were far from pity. Unlike Waller, Tala had experience with the arcane and in her quest for untold magical power, she'd been led to work under Waller after the defeat of her mentor, Felix Faust, at the hands of the Justice League on Themyscira. Now before her sat a man who reeked of magic, raw and unrefined. Whatever plane of existence he'd come from, Gehenna or not, was somewhere she had to go, "So," she started, "What do we do now?"

Director Waller took a breath to steady herself then stood from her chair, "We need to get that gate up and running again," she commanded.

Tala smiled inwardly. Again, Cadmus' goals would align with her own. Though she as sure not for the same reasons, "Of course, Director Waller," she gave a slight bow, "But the Enigma Gate's containment field generator was damaged during Desmond's pet project's _tantrum,_" she continued, "And that's not including the damage done by Julian here, and the hordes that came over,"

Waller motioned for Tala to follow her. The two women exited the room, "I'm well aware there are necessary repairs to be done, Dr. Tala. I am not a fool," her eyes hardened, "That is exactly what I mean when I say 'get that gate up and running again'. Keep the man under lock and key and send a transcript of Julian's testimony to Eiling. The relevant parts. If we are to cross the border into the other world, we need to ensure our men's gear will be up to snuff,"

Dr. Tala nodded, "And what of the cadavers?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Waller replied, "Was your team able to learn anything about the monsters?"

"Their anatomy is like nothing I've ever seen," Dr. Tala admitted, "A few of the beasts did not even have internal organs but were just… flesh through and through. No bones. No cavities. No sinuses or spaces. Nothing but flesh. They are deeper entrenched in the magic of their realm than expected,"

"That's why you've been assigned to this project," the harsh director reminded her, "Magic is supposedly your expertise. I don't want to hear excuses, I want results," She turned on her heels.

Dr. Tala watched Waller march off towards the elevator. No doubt the powerful woman would be heading to the sublevels of this facility to check on the DarkHeart fragment. A portion of the sample had been stolen by an unknown party during Desmond's pet project's tantrum. The same tantrum that set her own project back months. Her fingers curled inward at just the thought of that frustrating night in Nevada. But with a deep breath, she let her anger go. Now was not the time to get angry. Now was the time to move forward.

Besides, something good had come from all the destruction. First, Desmond had been disposed of. She'd never liked the man. Miles had always been a cluttered mind. Second, that night Julian had come into her life and she'd be damned if she ever spat in the face of a consolation prize that nice.

She looked at the closed door that separated her from Julian and licked her lips as if eyeing a meal. She loved power and knowledge, and the man on the other side of the door was filled to the brim with both; she could almost taste the arcane knowledge locked away inside his skull. She could not wait to drink the man dry.

* * *

Director Waller watched Dr. Tala from the elevator. She saw the tall and ethnically ambiguous woman lick her lips like a starving predator watching a plump pig, "Freak," she muttered under her breath as the doors closed. She did not like the woman Tala. Tala was the kind of woman that trailed after power, seeking continually to drain from others what she could never gain herself. The more crass may call her a 'gold digger' but Amanda Waller had a more apt description for the witch: a leech. However, she was a _useful_ leech.

That Tala dabbled in witchcraft and magic was well-known to Waller and an open secret to the rest of Cadmus' board of directors. Tala's magical proclivities were always a point of contention between Waller and the rest of the board, Emil especially. But every time the issue was raised, Waller did go to bat for Tala. As unpredictable magic could be, Tala could _make_ it predictable. After all, what was magic but sufficiently advanced technology? Given time, even the magical could be investigated and catalogued.

Waller swiped her badge against the bulging sensor in the elevator and from the touchscreen embedded in the wall selected the basement levels. With a heavy 'clunk' the elevator began it's slow and steady descent. During her ride, she unlocked her tablet and checked over a few files. Soon she would be speaking with Dr. Walker, a subordinate to Dr. Hamilton, who Emil had put in charge of the DarkHeart shard while he'd pursued other endeavors.

She swiped through a few directories before entering into one labelled 'DH f-2'. The first two files in the folder she ignored, instead heading for the third containing the most recent updates regarding the DarkHeart fragment. As she scanned the digital document, she recalled the haunting status of the world Julian had left behind; the world he'd named Gehenna. The hordes were endless and without their master, they were headless. And there was no one holding back the gates. Or at least that's what Julian had said; and while she wouldn't put it passed a normal person in his predicament to say literally anything that could get them released, the utter reverence and fear in his voice through his whole recounting left Waller with the impression that Mr. DeBois was telling the truth.

_And if he is indeed telling the truth and we are potentially facing another invasion from another dimensions, then I'd like to get him back through the gate quickly. Preferably with some backup of the military variety, _Waller looked back at the DarkHeart notes and an idea struck her. She took out her phone and dialed. But her finger hovered over the 'call' icon as she re-evaluated her decision.

No, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. The thought of being indebted to him filled her with dread. She couldn't call him; doing so would make her a hypocrite. She would find Valley on her own. With a sneer, she put her phone back in her pocket and waited for the elevator to open.

* * *

The tournament of the Justice League's first annual picnic was over and Clark was the victor. It came to no one's surprise that one of the trinity took first place and it was even less surprising when Clark insisted on the ceremony involving and celebrating all participants. After the admittedly silly closing ceremony, the festivities began to die down. Mightor left the BatCave, escorted by Zatanna, and Katar and Mawk left soon afterward.

Barbara pulled out a charade-type party game and was soon joined by Dick, Curtis, Dinah and Oliver with Queen Mera and her daughter watching closely and promising to join in the next game. Separated from the main group, Bruce spoke with Diana and Clark while watching the lingering festivities.

"So, are you happy with your picnic, Bruce?"

"'My picnic'?" Bruce contended, "This was all Diana's idea, remember? She set this all up,"

"What will you do with your decorations?"

"They're not my decorations," Bruce was steadfast in his position, "And obviously we're throwing them away,"

Diana lost her smile, "Throw them away? How can you do that if they are not your decorations by your own admission?"

"They're in _my_ cave," he pointed out casually, "I will dispose of them as I wish,"

Clark laughed at the expression of disbelief on Diana's face. He uncrossed his arms, "Well, to whichever one of you put them up, they're a nice touch. Always felt the cave could use more color," He popped some trail mix into his mouth and chewed, "This is something we sorely needed. A way to foster camaraderie,"

Diana nodded in agreement, "Don't you agree, Bruce? Or are you still sour from not getting first place?"

He rubbed his shoulder as a dull pain pulsed just below the muscle, "I'm fine. It gave me something to think about,"

Diana masked her worry in another big smile, "Hopefully not too much thinking; after all, we do have patrol tonight,"

"I do," Bruce replied, "The rest of you take the night off,"

"Bruce, you can't possibly-"

"I'll be fine," he interrupted Diana, "I handled the city on my own when I first started, I can handle it now,"

Diana leaned into Clark's ear, "Is this some sort of macho thing?"

Clark only shrugged, just as confused as her.

Bruce watched Dick and Barbara exchange good-byes with members of the League as they packed their items up. He watched as the two made their way for the long and winding staircase to the manor above, "Excuse me," He moved from Diana and Clark's company heading for Dick and Barbara.

As he walked, he noticed Kimber sitting down before the memorial cases, her back against the glass case containing his first suit. She was chatting with someone over the phone with a distressed look on her face. As he drew nearer, her conversation became clearer.

"...I know that but I can't, Papa. No, it isn't just about security it's about plausible deniability! A direct line to the the boss would tie you up in every Internal Affairs investigation, like, ever,"

Bruce couldn't hear the other side of the phone call, but he knew the conversation. The chief of police had been trying to get a direct line of communication open with the Bat-Clan for the last 9 months. The chief of police also knew his daughter was Batgirl. While Bruce wasn't happy that Kimber had made her father privy to that information, he respected her decision. It was a struggle similar to what Barbara had gone through years before.

While Goren had the decency to leave well enough alone, his knowledge did lead him to spearheading a relentless campaign of asking his daughter for a direct line to Batman. It was something that had been in operation before the Justice Lords and he'd toyed with bringing it back in the wake of the Near Apocalypse, but after the Chase Meridian fiasco, he completely cut the line. Now the only way the police could get ahold of him was through the bat-signal; as it should be.

"Yes, Papa, I told you Curtis is fine with it all. Said he had to work on a coding project for one of his classes… I don't know, some nerd project," She sounded exasperated.

Bruce approached Kimber. The girl sat completely in her own world, alone. The conversation on the other line must have left no room for her to say anything. Her father was excitable that way. Bruce leaned over to her, "Batgirl, what are you doing?" he growled, "Get over here!" Kimber jumped at his sudden presence; he could almost see her heart skip a beat as the color fled from her face.

"Papa, I-I gotta go," She looked at Bruce's face, confused. The voice had been there, the tone, too, but there was no sign of anger or any of the other customary facial features of the Batman. Instead there was a slightly odd curving of the mouth: a smile. She nervously also smiled back, "Yes, that's him! Uh huh, I love you, too," she slapped the phone back into her pocket then looked up at Bruce with a look of slight embarrassment.

Bruce straightened up, "Just thought you could use some help," he answered the question written on her face, "No need to thank me," He strolled by her toward the exit of the Bat-Cave and to Dick and Barbara.

Kimber placed a hand to her breast to still her rapidly beating heart and took a few deep breaths.

"He seem different to you?"

"Great fuckin' Hera!" Kimber jumped again at the sound of Curtis' voice. Her hands shook in frustration and she turned to her boyfriend and gave him an indescribable look of annoyance.

"Language," Clark warned from behind Curtis,"

"Like I said, Kimber, you've been hanging around Diana too much,"

"Is that a problem?" Diana stood next to Clark, her hands on her hips.

He laughed, "Not at all. Just strange to hear such archaic exclamations peppered with such spicy language,"

Kimber frowned at both heroes but kept quiet as her pulse stabilized again.

"I'll admit it is… interesting to hear Hera invoked so vulgarly, but I can't imagine she'd have any issue with it," Diana paused for a moment as she thought about Kimber's exclamation, "Though it would probably suit Zeus more," she said, lost in thought, "He did do most of the fu-"

"Language!" Clark warned again, but this time louder.

"Anyway," Kimber cut in, "Does who look different?"

"Him," Curt pointed to Bruce, "The boss. He seems… lighter on his feet,"

Bruce was chatting with Dick and Barbara, and while the three were too far for any except Clark to hear, it was a fairly good guess that the conversation was cordial. What love had been lost between the three was slowly being rebuilt. As Barbara and Dick turned for the stairs to ascend, Bruce clapped Richard on his back and said something that seemed to give Richard pause. A moment later, Barbara suddenly embraced Bruce quickie and said something back that gave Dick a chuckle. Then the two left the party; Bruce watched them go.

"See?" Curtis said, "He seems more chipper,"

"He literally seems the same to me," Kimber replied.

"Look past the exterior,"

"I'll admit he seems to walking more smoothly," Diana agreed, "I'd be lying if I didn't add that I know he was looking forward to this event,"

"Because he wanted to thrash Clark again?" Kimber asked.

Clark glared at her, "Again? What's this 'again', stuff? I wasn't in full control of my body, remember?"

Kimber let out a few playful laughs, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, _Superman,_" She looked back at her mentor as he walked their way, "Still, I don't really see what you're talking about. He's always been light on his feet,"

Commotion from the main chamber of the Bat-Cave caught their attention. All heads swiveled to the charade game group. When Barbara and Dick left the 'Cave, they'd taken Barbara's charade game with them. This left the remaining group to find new entertainment. Apparently, they'd taken up dancing… and Dinah and Queen Mera were exchanging harsh words.

Diana hissed her teeth, "Seems like a girl-problem," She quickly excused herself from her companions and flew over to quell the spat between the two women.

"Are they really arguing over Oliver?" Clark made his face up, utterly befuddled, "Bruce I could understand if he were single, but Ollie?"

Kimber and Curtis looked at the Man of Steel then quickly remembered Clark's own superpowers extended to enhanced sense. Either he was reading their lips or actually was able to hear their conversation. More than likely, it was both.

Curtis tapped Clark's shoulder, "They both want to dance with him?"

"Seems that way," Clark replied.

The three watched as Diana struggled to gain an inch of control over the spat and it looked like soon there would be another fight in the ring, one not at all expected by anyone. The waters in the harbor splashed somewhat violently as Queen Mera and Dinah continued shouting at each other as Mereena shrank into the background, every-so-often giving what were probably apologetic looks to Oliver.

"...Well screw you, too, then! You waterlogged hussy!" Dinah, finally bellowing loudly enough for Kimber and Curtis to hear, "You go ahead and dance with him and string him along, if that's what he wants! Go ahead! I've got a date with him later this week, so go on ahead!"

"Don't do me any favors, daughter of man!" Queen Mera responded coolly at the same volume but with a more deadly intensity, "The only reason he hasn't committed to you is because he knows he can do better than a two-bit florist that moonlights as a part-time crimefighter,"

"Okay, cut it out, you two," Diana stepped between the two, finally able to get in a word and physically pushed the two women more than six inches apart, "Or I'll put you both in time-out,"

Diana's attempt at a joke fell on deaf ears. Dinah's eyes stung at the queen's icy words and gritted her teeth, "At least I give him the time of day and see him as an equal and not some token with which to fill that trench you call a heart,"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, my," Diana quickly stepped between the two, putting a hand on each of their chests to keep them apart. Oliver, to his credit, also stepped in and wrapped his arms around Dinah to further pull her from the Queen's presence as Bruce and Kimber trotted over to further back up Diana.

"You heard me!" Dinah called as Oliver continued to pull her away, "I'm sorry for your loss, but you're so much of a pompous ass that if I were married to you, I'd sacrifice myself to a demon god, too!"

Dinah's comment on Arthur's death made Queen Mera's blood boil and she saw red. In an explosive show of strength, she ripped herself free of Diana's hand and lunged at Dinah. It was a brutal reminder of just how strong an Atlantean was. However, at that same moment Clark displayed his own power. Faster than the eye can blink, he was on the ocean queen, pinning her arms behind her back and holding her out of Dinah's reach.

"Alright, that's enough!" Oliver, his own human reaction much slower than Clark's but still quite impressive, pulled Dinah back a second later. For the first time that day, his face creased with anger. He spun Dinah around and jabbed a finger to the exitway, "Now, I'm all for having women fight over me, but this has gone on too far! Take a walk and cool off!"

Dinah looked back at Queen Mera with disgust, "I'm fine," she said more to herself, "I could use some fresh air anyway," She curled some of her golden hair behind her ear and marched off to the exit.

As she went, Oliver called to her, "I'll come by later, alright?"

"You still choose her over me?" Queen Mera panted, her face was red from a mixture of anger, exhaustion and embarrassment.

"Hey, you need to cool off, too," Oliver directed his stern tone towards her, "Take a swim, or whatever it is you Atlanteans do to calm down. But we can't be having discord within the League. Not like this. And definitely not over me,"

Queen Mera's panting slowed as her heart rate dropped to a more normal period. Her eyes, however, remained hard-set on Oliver, "'You Atlanteans'..." she repeated his choice of words. She retreated into her head and anger and exhaustion melted away leaving only embarrassment. She reset her shoulders and held her head high, "Mereena,"

"Yes, mother?" Mereena meekly replied, desperately wishing to escape the awkward social situation.

"We're leaving,"

"Thank Neptune," Mereena muttered. She kept her head low and avoided eye contact with her peers.

Kimber brushed her arm as she passed, "Your mama's intense, Mereena,"

Mereena looked Kimber in her eye. Her eyes were red as if holding back tears, "She insulted my dead dad, Kim," Mereena replied shakily, "The waters return what they're given,"

Queen Mera and Mereena waded into the harbor waters and cast one long look back at Oliver, "You won't have to worry about discord within the League," she said, "I'm a part-timer, remember?" then she and her daughter sank beneath the waves. No goodbyes were exchanged and no 'see you laters' were given. In a silent moment, the two Atlanteans disappeared with the tide.

The Bat-Cave was quiet for a while. The spat had quickly spiraled from a short and slightly playful dispute to an all out insult-fest. With Dinah's rough background, it was not as surprising that she'd be one to hurl insults faster than a Western gunslinger, but that the queen of the ocean had responded in kind certainly gave everyone pause. It was so… unbecoming of the ruler of Atlantis to trade insults with a florist over a man.

Oliver broke the silence, "Hey, I'm gonna head out," he grabbed his jacket and headed for the exit, "No doubt Dinah's upset and fuming on her drive home. Think I'll pick up some Chinese and see how she's doing,"

Diana flew over to the archer and held onto his shoulder holding him in place, "Ollie," she said quietly, "They're both hurting. Mera probably more than Dinah. Is this your final decision?"

Oliver stood before the exit. He knew Dinah was angry but he also knew she'd get over it. She was tough and boy had she given Queen Mera the verbal thrashing of a lifetime. She _had_ gone too far. It wasn't a hard thing to contact the queen. The buoy in the harbor was a surefire way to get her attention, and yet… it didn't seem right.

She came with too much baggage. It wasn't Mereena, the fact she was not even human but a distant and mystical relation to human, it wasn't even the fact that he would have to eschew seafood forever once they were together, it was the title: queen. She carried the weight of that title everywhere she went and to every event. It was a pressure he couldn't take.

He nodded his head, "Look, Dinah's driving angry and when she drives angry, she drives reckless. Let me go catch up with her before she flips off the wrong person and she starts another fight," He moved for the exit, the opposite direction of the harbor, "Brucie-boy!" he yelled at the Bat-Cave's owner, "I'll give you a call later tonight! Got a case I want to run by you an' Rob," He waved as he disappeared into the bowels of the sub-levels and the exit.

A second wave of silence washed over the cave. Bruce, Diana, Curtis, Kimber and Clark were all who were left. The festivities had come to an abrupt and rough halt. Diana looked at her friends' faces with worry. For all the teambuilding the earlier contest and subsequent games had fostered, Diana felt that that gained camaraderie was lost in the wake of the two women's fight. She looked at Clark for any sign of hope.

His ear perked up, "Sounds like Livewire's rampaging in Metropolis, again. I've got to go," He checked his belt. The capsule he'd activated as soon as Queen Mera and Dinah's spat threatened to go physical still carried enough charge to get him to Metropolis and defend the city, "Want to tag along?"

Bruce shook his head, "It's too early. Not my style,"

"I wasn't asking you," Clark smiled warmly at Diana, "You could probably use some fresh air and I could use some backup,"

Diana looked at Bruce.

"You don't need my permission, Princess. You're older than both of us," Bruce replied without even having to look at her.

"Alright, I'll go," She rushed to the Armory and quickly changed into her white and gold Wonder Woman warrior attire and took to the air with Superman, "I'll give you a call when we're through!"

"Don't mind us!" Curtis called up to the two metas, "We'll just be cleaning up,"

"What's this about 'we'?" Kimber joked, "_I _brought food and helped set up, you are all on your own with this mess,"

The three looked over the Bat-Cave's various levels. The letters Diana had hung up were half-torn down. Towels were strewn over the cave floor and a number of discarded water bottles and energy bar wrappers were clumped in groups on the floor. Bruce kicked over a nearby towel and sighed, "We are not having this here again,"

Curtis hid a smile, "But we _can_ have it somewhere else?" He looked at his girlfriend.

Kimber shrugged, "That's what I heard," she agreed casually.

Bruce looked at the two of them and frowned, "You," he pointed to Kimber, "Upstairs. Clean the parlor. I'm sure Dick made a mess before he came down," He swiveled to Curtis, "And you: sub-levels. Make sure the security down there is enabled properly and the various entrances are covered,"

"All of them?" Curtis' heart nearly stopped. There were a lot of entrances to the sub-levels.

"All of them," Bruce confirmed. A slight smile tickled the corner of his mouth, "You both want to twist my words to have another one of these next year, you both can deal with the aftermath,"

Kimber piped up in protest of her new assignment, "But I brought-"

"You both can deal with the aftermath," The tone in Bruce's voice told both youths that there was no budging on this. The twinge in the corner of his mouth was gone and his face darkened. The Bat-Glare was on in full force and both partners withered beneath it.

"Right, boss," Kimber grabbed Curtis' hand and pulled him away from Bruce, "We'll get right on that,"

As he was yanked away, Curtis saw the slight smile creep back over his mentor's mouth and he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise. He faced forward and walked with his girlfriend and saw she, too, was smiling, "What's up, _Alfred_?" he poked fun at her task to clean Wayne Manor's parlor.

Kimber couldn't hold back her smile and she kept her voice low, "Overall, he had fun..."

**A/N: It's been awhile. This took a bit of time to write. Getting back into the groove as I shift back into daily life post-wedding. Thank you for being patient. Please read and review and I hope you're enjoying the story so far.**


	20. Part 1: Chapter 20

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)**and then Act 2**( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

Superman and Wonder Woman streaked across the bright blue sky on their way to Metropolis, leaving Gotham's grey-blue haze in the horizon. It wouldn't take them much longer before they breached Gotham's sister city of Metropolis and both were pretty sure finding Livewire wouldn't be that hard. The former radio jockey had a grand desire for attention.

"Everything alright?"

Wonder Woman nodded and looked over at her teammate, "Thinking about Mera,"

Superman nodded solemnly, "She has a habit of starting trouble," he agreed, "I didn't realize she was interested in Oliver. Actually, I don't think anyone did,"

"She kept it rather well hidden,"

"You knew, huh?"

Wonder Woman smiled slightly, "I did. Bruce, Kimber, and Curtis, too,"

"Of course," Superman muttered, "Seems you're falling pretty in line with the Bat-Clan, what with keeping secrets and all,"

"Secrets?" Wonder Woman exclaimed in thinly veiled anger, "It was a _personal _matter_,_ Kal," she explained, "It's not my business to share her business. Especially about such private things,"

The two metas entered Metropolis. Superman slowed his flight and Wonder Woman followed suit. This was his neck of the woods, so to speak, and she didn't want to step on his toes.

The city was still cautiously happy to have their dedicated protector back, but the last thing she wanted to do was push the city that had twice been subjugated by Superman into paranoia. She knew about the three-strike system that some places instituted and knew that whether or not that was law here for other criminals, Metropolis wouldn't be forgiving at all a third time. Everything Superman did was put under a microscope by journalists and evaluated by the general public.

"Know where she is?" Wonder Woman asked as Superman stopped again.

"I can hear people screaming near Memorial Park, but I can't hear her," he did his best to focus his hearing.

"Your power is waning?"

"No," he replied, double-checking his belt gauge, "I have about fifteen minutes remaining, "She's in the wires," He closed his eyes and put all his energy into listening for his electric enemy. Subtly, his head turned and tracked a certain power line. His eyes opened slowly and he noticed its slight bounce and crackle as if it were carrying more current than usual, "There!" He pointed at the line.

Wonder Woman unsheathed her blade, "Then let's catch her," She threw her sword at the end of the power line where it connected to the pole.

Superman fired his heat vision at the other end at the same time. Both attacks bullseye their targets and the severed line fell. In the blink of an eye, Superman caught the power line and flew into the air. He felt it wriggle and squirm with energy in his fist. A split second later, the wire exploded in a shower of bright blue and white sparks.

"Great Hera!" Instinctively, Diana shielded her eyes and squinted against the blast.

A husky and playful laugh came from out of the burst and as the light faded away Livewire floated, both hands rested on her hips, "I gotta say, Big Blue, it's good to see you still know how to ruin a girl's good time. Some things never change,"

Superman's fist curled inward, "Leslie, what are you doing?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, Super Jerk!" Livewire grinned and a bolt of energy arced to Superman. Wonder Woman put herself between Superman and the bolt struck her shield, harmlessly fizzling out on contact. Livewire continued, "You and Wonder Woman on a date? Don'cha know that she's exclusive to that twit Wayne in Gotham?" She fired another blast, this one stronger than the first.

"Wonder Woman, watch out!" Superman pushed Wonder Woman to the side as he flew in the opposite direction.

The bolt flashed between the two superheroes as Livewire rushed in to challenge Superman, "I never took you for a homewrecker. Is there no 'Mrs. Superman' at home? No Superwoman?"

Superman swung his fist but Livewire dematerialized and came up from behind. She placed her palm on the Man of Steel's back and fired. The point blank blast sent spikes of electricity coursing through his veins and under his skin like tendrils of pure pain. With a yell, Superman fell from the air.

"Oh damn!" Livewire commented, "Who'd've thunk that he was that conductive? Then again, he is the 'Man of Steel'," She laughed at her own terrible joke then turned her attention to Wonder Woman. But the shift came too late.

Wonder Woman's fist slammed into Livewire's cheek. This knocked her back a bit. A second fist came fast and hard, rocked Livewire's shoulder, knocking her further down. After the second hit, Wonder Woman spoke.

"They tell me that you're no longer human. That you're nearly pure energy,"

"Yeah," Livewire wiped her jaw and then rubbed her shoulder, "What's it to ya?"

"Good," Wonder Woman drew her sword, "Then lethal force is more than acceptable," She dove for the blue-haired electrokinetic and swung for her midsection.

"Yeow!" Livewire narrowly avoided the deadly blade's initial swipe but the second swipe came fast and hard. The blade cleaved partially into Livewire, stopping short of fully separating her left shoulder from her body.

The villainess looked at the injury numbly, unable to process what had just happened. The pain registered moments later and she howled, "Do you have any idea how much that hurts?" She inhaled sharply then expelled a ball of electricity from all points of her body as a shield, shocking Wonder Woman and forcing her to release the sword's hilt and raise her shield in defense.

"Some, yes," Wonder Woman lowered her shield as some energy from Livewire's attack still crackled on its surface. She eyed her sword, still embedded in Livewire's shoulder and hoped she'd be able to retrieve.

On the ground, Superman stared into the air as Livewire fired more blasts at Wonder Woman keeping her at bay. He'd wished that Wonder Woman hadn't stabbed his villain, but Livewire wasn't exactly human and once the blade was removed, he was sure she'd be right as rain… Rain! Superman's keen eyes spied a water tower on the top of a nearby building. He put forth his arms to fly but couldn't take off.

"What the?" He looked down at his belt. He swore he'd had enough juice for another ten minutes. Perhaps the blast from Livewire had taken all his full Kryptonian strength to survive? He had to admit the blast had been one of the strongest he'd ever felt from her and he _had_ recovered much faster than normal. The gauge was empty for sure. _No problem,_ he thought as he thumbed the small lever on his belt.

Nothing.

He thumbed it again and pointed his fists forward for take off. Nothing. He checked the belt again and growled in exasperation as he realized there was no light on the buckle: the belt was fried. _He didn't make the it insulated? That's not like Bruce_, Superman looked around hurriedly for some way to help Wonder Woman. The belt was broken and that wasn't something he could do anything about right now.

In the air, Wonder Woman swung her fists with deadly accuracy. She'd managed to get back in close but she'd yet to land a hit. The shield attached to her forearm whistled just shy of Livewire with each attempt to strike, all the while, the former radio shock-jock was spouting annoying and grating one-liners.

"Just be quiet!" Wonder Woman growled as she swung both fists again.

"Oh, c'mon Diana of the Amazon!" Livewire taunted angrily, "That was so close! Give it another good ol' college try!… You do have college where you're from, right?" Livewire paused her tirade to actually think about her question, "Do your people have a college?" She used her lightning-quick reflexes to dodge another punch, "I'm legitimately curious. Do you know, like, algebra? Is there a University of Themyscira? The public demands to know!" In seconds, her shock-jock personality shone through again and, despite her injury, she was back with the quips.

"Amazonian institutions of learning are brutal and for the elite only!" Wonder Woman answered angrily, "While I doubt you'd make the cut, I'll be glad to give you a crash course!" She swung her left arm, launching her shield at Livewire.

The villainess barely had time to register the attack and the blunt end of the shield ricocheted off her chin and back to Wonder Woman. She wiped her aching jaw, "That was a dick move," Livewire faced forward just in time to see the pure and perfect skin on Wonder Woman's knuckles closing in. _Oh my god, her skin is so well moisturized-_ Anymore thought was cut off as Wonder Woman's fist slammed into Livewire's cheek.

The electric villainess released a powerful bolt of electricity in self-defense. This forced Wonder Woman back from Livewire and both took a moment to stabilize themselves in the air to keep from spiraling to the ground. Both panted heavily, Livewire angry but also looking much more winded than Wonder Woman.

Below, Superman finally found a way to help: some kids were playing in the street with buckets of water balloons. Using his superspeed, he approached the two boys, "Hey, kids,"

"Superman!" Both of the children, too young to have been fully aware of the negative stigma of the Justice Lords, or too young to care, looked at the Man of Steel in awe.

"Do you mind if I use some of your water balloons?" He knelt down to their level and gave them both a warm smile, "I promise I'll replace them,"

"Sure thing, Superman!" the taller one answered eagerly handing over a few packages of unfilled balloons.

"Thanks," he winked then dashed to the nearest public water fountain. It was weird not being able to fly over the city but instead being bound to the ground, but he had to admit it gave him a fresh new perspective. Flying so high above the city, he sometimes forgot to be _in _the city. Being literally grounded also mentally grounded him, "Excuse me, pardon me, coming through," he shimmied and squeezed between people as he approached the nozzles.

He pulled the first balloon over the closest nozzle and turned it on. He cast a glance over his shoulder to monitor the situation between Wonder Woman and Livewire. Another standoff and Diana was looking pretty peeved. He focused back on the task at hand and began filling up more balloons.

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

That was the only sound he heard alone in his cave.

But he hadn't been alone. Mere moments ago the BatCave was filled with life. The Justice League had there, _in his cave_. In the aftermath of the entire event he felt somewhere between violated and oddly comfortable.

A running term that had once been used to describe him and his partners within Gotham was 'Bat-family'. It was used in the early yearly formative years before Dick Grayson left. It was said in more of a clinical and joking fashion; closer to how different species are within the same 'family' rather than an actual human family unit. Truth be told, he always hated the term. He felt it gave the wrong impression.

When the more 'professional' term 'Bat-Clan' was coined during Dick's tenure as Nightwing, Bruce was grateful. He never wanted Batman and his comrades to become too comfortable. Even his adopted son. He had to keep them all at bay when they were in uniform. They weren't a family; they were a crime-fighting team; a unit of vengeance and justice. And truth be told, he was never really comfortable calling them 'family'. The notion that he could have a family, a half-way normal life, was idealistic and laughable then. But now…

He felt something crumple under his foot as he crested the stairs from the sublevels. He glanced down. The half empty water bottle spurted some of its contents over the natural cave floor and with a sigh, Bruce hunched over and picked it up. As he did, he felt a slight breeze from the darker corners of his cave.

"The cave is a mess," the shadows chastised him. Had the voice been older, British and slightly sardonic, Bruce would have felt a slight pang of melancholy. Instead he felt indifferent.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce rose to greet his dimensional double, "The machine has been disconnected for months, how did you get here?"

Batman opened his cape, revealing a pistol-shaped device holstered on his hip, "Souvenir from another alternate dimension adventure," he replied.

"There are more realities?"

"Yes," Batman shifted back into his neutral stance, cape draped over his shoulders, "You were right,"

The two were silent. It was almost like a magic mirror displaying the reflection of one on the other. Finally, movement: Bruce walked by Batman and threw the half-finished water bottle in a recycling bin.

"Villain attack?"

"No," Bruce crouched and began scooping up wayward wrappers and towels.

"Disgruntled partner?"

"No," Bruce casually dropped the towels on the floor in a collected pile and drew a large garbage bag from one of the many drawers in his cave. With a flick of his wrist, the bag opened up and he tossed in the trashy wrappers. _I'll have to set up a League meeting regarding proper trash etiquette._

Batman looked around the cluttered cave. His mind was racing with what could have happened, "Another depressive cycle?"

Bruce looked over his shoulder as he shoved another handful of trash into the garbage bag, "Do all your options involve some sort of failure or tragedy?"

"What else is there in our life?"

"This isn't your life," Bruce reminded Batman.

"Was it the former Justice Lords?" Batman continued his guessing game, "I theorized their powers would eventually-,"

"A picnic," Bruce interrupted.

Batman was taken aback, "Excuse me?"

"It was a picnic," Bruce repeated, "A Justice League picnic," He caught a strange look from Batman and quickly added on, "Diana's idea,"

"I was unaware the BatCave would become a tourist destination,"

"It's not," A darkness came into Bruce's voice as he replied, "It was for team building and training purposes," He cocked his head to the side, "To build morale," He handed Batman an unopened energy bar, "One for the road? Do they even have this brand where you're from?"

Batman stared at him, silent.

Bruce shrugged and placed it in his pocket for later, "To what do I owe this visit of yours?"

"Nostalgia," Batman answered, "Things came to a head, the world nearly ended and there to greet the League were robotic facsimiles of you and your Lords,"

"A personal touch, huh?" Bruce finished gathering the nearby wrappers into his arms and stuffed them into the garbage, "Sounds like something Luthor would do,"

"How do you figure?"

Bruce looked over his shoulder at his double, "Who else from your world would know about your escapades on this side of the curtain? Ours would have done the same thing. 'A' is 'A'; no matter what reality he calls home, 'Luthor'-"

"Is 'Luthor'," Batman nodded seriously, "As reliable as death and taxes. Things have quieted down for a bit in the wake of our most recent mission and I thought I'd check in on you,"

"So this isn't as much a social call as it is the equivalent of a parole officer checking in on a parolee," Bruce surmised.

"No,"

"Funny," Bruce ignored Batman's response, "I didn't take you for the sentimental type,"

"I'm not the one with a caveful of party aftermath,"

"Team building," Bruce corrected, "It has its place," He thought for a moment as his mind wandered to Diana, "Besides, I'm not you,"

"And I've done my best to ensure I don't become you,"

"So that's all I am? A tale of warning? A world that only exists to every so often remind you to stay on that straight and narrow line?"

Batman retreated slightly but didn't bother disagreeing with him, "A rather blunt way to put it, but yes. The consequence of too much centralized power and too much teamwork. Consequence that had tremendous ramifications on my world,"

"How selfish," Bruce faced his dimensional double, "My world kept spinning, _Bruce_. When you go through that portal, I don't go on pause. My world doesn't stop and then start back up again once you return. Your 'ramifications' would be a drop in the bucket compared to the utter hell on earth we had to go through to get to this point. You got to learn from my mistake and, hopefully, preemptively end following the same path," He looked himself over, "But don't think for a moment that all my world is, all _I_ am, is a mistake to teach _you_ something. There are real lives on this side, real people. You reminded me of that years ago. Now, I'm reminding you,"

Batman glared at his counterpart, "Why did you shut off the machine?"

"I had no use for it anymore. There are enough problems in my world. I don't need to compound them with the problems of another. And for what purpose would I have to visit your world? To continually see the world that might have been? I can't get that back," his eyes turned down in regret, "I just build with what remains,"

Batman stayed silent.

"You must not be too satisfied with your 'better world', though," Bruce continued, looking up at Batman, "Why else would you find your way back here every so often to remind yourself there's a Batman out there in this... multiverse that's worse off than you?"

Batman glared again and retreated further into the shadows. Hidden by his cape, his hand unlatched the portable dimensional device, "Not true,"

"You said it yourself," Bruce pushed, "I'm your reminder. The only time someone needs that kind of reminder is when they question if they're doing the right thing," He looked into the dark of his cave, his mind getting lost in thought. He chuckled, "I'm a Batman who's been humbled. You've avoided that humbling and yet… perhaps you still need to be,"

"You're mad,"

"No. I understand better now. I have watched myself fall time and time again in the last two years, mistake after mistake. I had allies and friends to lift me up. More than a League now; a family,"

"A family that will wither and fall away in the face of the never-ending mission,"

"Maybe," Bruce didn't seem the least bit fazed by Batman's response. In fact, he'd almost expected such a response; he would have responded the same way two years ago. But things were different now, "But I will help them up just as they will help me up. Whatever may come. Meanwhile you," he directed his eyes back to Batman, "You will further insulate yourself in your cave as you strive to not be me: your hidden and deepest fear. You won't ever let the League in close for fear of becoming the Lords. You'll become a great man, but so alone,"

"If that's what the mission demands, that's what I will become," Batman activated the device and a low hum started up. The frequency emitted by the device began to fade him out of Bruce's world and back into his own, "But what will become of a Batman so reliant on others?"

With those words of warning left hanging in the cave like stalactites, Batman vanished.

"Always have to have the last word," Bruce almost laughed, "The hubris,"

The Batcomputer beeped. Someone was attempting to get Batman's attention. Bruce approached the supercomputer and answered on a voice-only line. As he did, he read the caller ID, "This is Batman," he answered in his natural voice, "What do you have, Dr. Palmer?"

* * *

Wonder Woman raised her shield up and blocked another blast from Livewire. _Isn't this just grand? _she asked herself, _Clark went down early in the fight and doesn't seem at all keen on coming back. _Her eyes scanned the ground but caught no sight of Superman. She'd only been fighting Livewire a few minutes and was already beginning to get bored.

"C'mon, sweetie. Throw that shield away and rush in! It's boring shooting at you just for you to block it!" Livewire seemed to recognize just how stale their combat had gotten already, "Unless," she added with a playful voice, "I find a way to liven things up!"

Wonder Woman looked up from behind her shield, eyes heavy, and watched in horror as Livewire slowly, and painfully, drew the sword that was lodged in her shoulder out. Wonder Woman had ample opportunity to dash in and strike. She probably would have finished off the fight had she done that. However, she was so taken aback by the surprising action that all she could do was watch.

With a final yelp, Livewire pulled the mythical blade free from her shoulder and wielded it, panting heavily, "Well," she swiped twice with the sword, both sloppy slices, "That wasn't so bad now," She pointed the blade at Wonder Woman, "Hopefully this boosts me up!"

Wonder Woman snarled at Livewire. The enemy was wielding _her_ blade. A blade of the gods wielded by an unfit mortal. If she didn't retrieve the sword quickly, she'd never hear the end of it from Athena. Wonder Woman rushed in to wrestle the sword from Livewire.

Livewire grinned and pointed the tip of the blade at the rushing woman. With a smile on her face she charged up her arms and directed a blue bolt of lightning from the tip. With a deafening crack, the bolt smashed into the center of her shield with a velocity wholly unnatural.

"Holy shit!" Livewire's eyes went wide, "Don't lie, I know you felt that one!" She grinned maliciously, "This sword really is magic, huh? Some sort of power amplifier? Ha! This is great!" She aimed again and fired at Wonder Woman, knocking the Amazon princess back further.

Wonder Woman lowered her shield just enough to peer over the edge. She contemplated throwing her shield again. The last time she'd thrown it, Livewire had been distracted and injured; but now Livewire was whole and amped up by the power presented by the sword. _This will be difficult._

Suddenly, water splashed off Livewire's shoulder. She recoiled in shock and pain and looked behind her. She saw nothing, "What the-," Then, without warning, Superman appeared with a round blue ball in his hand and a wide, yet mischievous, smile on his face.

"Surprise!" He seemed to pause in the air for a moment and took that moment to lob the ball at her with his super speed, "Catch!"

Livewire was too stunned to react in any graceful fashion and the ball hit her in the face. On impact, it burst open and she realized it was no ball: it was a water balloon. A jolt of pain rushed through her body as the conductive liquid covered her face, "Yeoww! What's the idea?"  
Superman appeared again and threw a pair of water balloons at her. Both splashed against her, causing her more pain than the sword Wonder Woman had almost cleaved her in half with. Livewire watched as Superman descended again and was handed a larger handful of water balloons by two boys.

"Are you… jumping?" She'd heard rumors that his flight was temporary but to see it in person was something else, "Oh boy! Wait 'til I tell the boys at the slammer that your flight is gone! They'll get a kick out of-ack! Pffthpbbth," Whatever taunt she'd started was lost as she was heavily doused under the onslaught of another volley of water balloons. With each hit, she felt shocks of pain coursing through her system. She'd have to end this, and quick.

From behind, Wonder Woman smashed her fist into Livewire's back, sending the villainess hurdling to the ground. She chased close after to ensure Livewire wouldn't try for a quick escape back to the air, "Looks like you're about to be grounded,"

If she wasn't so wracked with pain, Livewire would have groaned at the pun. She managed to regain flight control a few feet from the ground to prevent a less-than-appealing faceplant. She spun in midair just in time to catch a fist from Wonder Woman with her hand.

Wonder Woman reared back with her other fist to strike and Livewire raised the sword in her dominant hand to block the strike. But the strike never came. Instead, another water balloon soaked her back and a little more of her charge fell out of control. She craned her neck to look behind her and saw Superman smirking, tossing a water balloon up and catching it repeatedly like a pitcher on the mound. Next to him stood the two young boys and both held tightly to their own water balloons

"No…" Livewire dropped the sword and attempted to shift into pure energy to escape the situation, but Superman had already thrown his balloon. She was between forms when the balloon hit her and she felt another shock of pain. It brought her back to her humanoid form.

Not even a second later, two more balloons struck her... Then a third, then a fourth and a fifth. Soon she was under the relentless bombardment of water balloons; each one causing her to convulse.

Wonder Woman watched as the supervillain was rendered powerless and soon unconscious by a half-powered Superman, two pre-teen boys and a bucket of summer fun. She couldn't help but smile. It was a comical scene, so nonsensical. And yet, it was so like Clark. Another volley of water balloons and Livewire hit the ground.

Quick as a flash, Wonder Woman retrieved her sword from the ground and quickly sheathed it. Then she stepped up to Livewire's side and placed her foot over Livewire's chest, pinning her down, "Now, are you going to come quietly? Or will I have to enlist the three boys over there to carry out another bombing run?"

Livewire weakly looked up and over at Superman and his two temporary associates. A piddling laugh escaped her black lips before she set her head back down and her eyes closed, "I can't believe this happened," and with that, Livewire passed out.

"To be honest," Wonder Woman hoisted the villainess in her arms for safe transport to an insulated holding cell, "Neither can I,"

Superman approached her, "My belt's all out of juice," He pointed to the broken device, "Seem's Batman will have to make me a new one. You alright to take her to Stryker's Island?"

Wonder Woman smirked, "I can carry you, too, if you'd like to be there," she replied, "I have two hands,"

Superman put up both his hands in protest, "No thanks, I'm quite alright on the ground for now. I'll just," he yanked his thumb back at the two boys gathering up the remaining water balloons, "Help these two clean up and take a taxi to Gotham,"

"Suit yourself, Superman," Wonder Woman readjusted the prisoner her arms then took to the sky.

* * *

He kicked open his front door and strutted inside. Two cats squealed and rushed in opposite directions away from the intrusion and he sighed as he half-heartedly attempted to shoo them from his apartment with his hands, "If you'd please vacate the premises," he kicked out with his leg sloppily. He purposefully missed the scattering felines, not wishing to injure them, just to communicate to them that their presence was not welcome.

Once the cats were out of the room, he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks and pants. A quick whiff of the pants and he knew he would need some new clothes. And purple suits were definitely hard to come by.

He tossed them into a dirty clothes hamper and hoped his dry cleaner wouldn't ask questions when he rolled through to get the purple suit cleaned for the fourth time that month. The bill for cleaning was getting expensive. Luckily, his pointy-eared benefactor knew how to recognize talent.

When Batman approached him asking for help on a case, he hadn't asked for much in the way of compensation. If there was one thing Mama Sage had drilled into him, it was 'always lowball yourself and make them prop you up'. It was advice that worked. Batman was well aware of his reputation and when Sage had shared his rate with the World's Greatest Detective, he was quite surprised when Batman offered him triple the rate. Just where did the Batman's seemingly bottomless pockets come from? Another mystery for another time.

He flipped on the tv set as he flopped on the bed. After a minute of static, the channels buzzed to life. It wasn't his television service, no no, it was his neighbor's. Every Tom, Dick and Harry who bought cable were willingly submitting their brains to being watched and mapped by the box. By just knowing what channels a person watches, the cable companies would have a very good psyche profile built out on that person. He would know; he'd done it himself.

As much as he loathed daytime television, it did serve a purpose. Like the tabloids and the Sunday funnies, the drivel that was daytime television occasionally carried a nugget of invaluable insight and news. He had faith that this session with the cursed thing would be no different.

He flipped through the channels with no rhyme nor reason. He had no goal in his viewing, that was how he always approached the tv. Even though it would be logging his activity under his oblivious neighbor's account, he never could be too careful. A news station displayed the aftermath of a battle between Superman, Wonder Woman and Livewire. The show interspersed various clips of the tussle from different video sources as the news anchor prattled on about superheroes and their return to the world.

It was a tired question that was well-worn out. He already had his answer. There were those he didn't trust and those he didn't trust _less_. Batman and the Emerald Archer out of Star City were those he didn't trust less. They were both obviously mere mortals attempting ascendency. But the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman, he barely trusted. Wonder Woman had a lasso that could force the truth out of anyone it ensnared, a power no one should ever have; and Superman was self-explanatory.

He continued flicking through the channels as his mind wandered to the task Batman had given him. He'd found the facility, he'd traced the Birdman to his roost, he'd done good work. But what would happen tonight when he shared his info with Batman? Did he trust Batman to simply leave him alone? A crackpot like him? Of course not.


	21. Part 1: Chapter 21

**A/N: This is Act 3, please read Act 1** ( s/7083098/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-1-ReBirth)**and then Act 2 **( s/7459004/1/Justice-Lords-LIMITLESS-Act-2-EndWar )**if you haven't yet. If you use the app, and/or the link does not work, you can find Act 1 and Act 2 on my profile along with information regarding Justice Lords Limitless.**

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before!" Dr. Palmer gushed over the smaller sample of the DarkHeart fragment in his lab. The full sample rested inert and slightly deflated but this smaller fragment that Dr. Palmer had resting on his table was hooked up to a myriad of sensors, wires and cabling. The good doctor restored his size and stood next to Batman, "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I know weekends can be especially busy for you-"

"This is important, Dr. Palmer," Batman answered directly.

Dr. Palmer cleared his throat nervously and pulled at his mask, "Of course. And I think you'll be quite happy with what I've got here," He flicked a few switches and energy hummed in the wires. The DarkHeart fragment spun up to life and a low purple hue emanated from the translucent orbs embedded in the rock-like machine, "I'll be right back,"

Batman stepped back, eyes narrowed, and watched Dr. Palmer disappear out of his laboratory and into the hall. He returned a minute later carrying a large garbage bin. Though on the side it read 'Paper Only', the slight rancid smell clued him in that not everything in the doctor's trash was inorganic, "What's this?"

"You recall what made the DarkHeart so unbeatable, yes?" Dr. Palmer didn't even wait for a response, "Of course you do: its ability to break down matter to its most fundamental components and spit it back out as something else," He reached into the trash and took out a not-insignificant wad of crumpled notes. He then placed them gently before the shard and flicked a final switch.

From under the shard, a small mechanical appendage reached out and grabbed the corner of a few papers and drew it into the shard. It was a rather slow process and Batman had to repress a sigh of impatience. He had an appointment to keep with his informant and was sure if he kept the faceless man waiting, then the informant would bolt. He was antsy like that.

"I know it is a slow process. I'm still working out the bugs. However, it's almost finished," Dr. Palmer reassured his quiet guest and when the last paper was consumed, he straightened up and hit a few buttons on the control panel.

The shard whirred and buzzed for a moment. Then, from the most prominent purple orb, a mush of substance came out and quickly took shape. Batman inadvertently took in a small breath and held it. In mere seconds, a black and red bat-a-rang had been created out of trash.

Dr. Palmer didn't even have to turn around to know he'd impressed the Dark Knight, "That was my reaction when I first got it to work, too," He gingerly picked up the bat-a-rang and held it up between himself and Batman, both men scrutinizing the alien tech's work, "The microcontroller is a thing of beauty and its inner workings were beautifully simple. Easy to interface with," He paused, "Then again, most everything is easy to interface with when you can be as small as a mite and watch the electrical pulses with your own eyes. Gives a whole new meaning to 'debug'," Dr. Palmer gave a nervous laugh.

Batman looked at the bat-a-rang. It by no means was perfect. The edges were too round and the tips dull. He'd made enough of the shurikens to know this one was not perfectly balanced just by looking at it. And red and black? What sort of color scheme was that? Still, it _had_ been made from what had once been garbage. A near-perfect conversion of matter.

"I know it's most probably not like what you'd use," Dr. Palmer began with the apology, but it sounded less like a 'sorry' and more like 'that's just how it is', "But I've never had a chance to inspect your tools. As perfect as the machine is, you have to be just as perfect in knowing what you want it to make. This isn't some simple CAD tool, this is directly changing matter with efficiency that rivals photosynthesis. The matter is 85-90% conserved during the process with the remaining bits lost to power the machine and less than 1% lost as heat," Dr. Palmer marveled at the machine, "In another year or so, I am confident this could be small enough to fit on a belt,"

"And power source?"

"That's even more beautiful," Dr. Palmer continued, "Since it's partially organic, it can almost sustain itself when not in use, only requiring comparably significant energy when running a conversion…"

"Which it draws from the materials it takes in,"

"Precisely,"

Batman spun quickly and threw the bat-a-rang. It thudded against the metal wall and plinked to the floor. Yes, it had been unbalanced and that had completely ruined the flight-path, but it was solid: it wasn't just for show. Even if it hadn't embedded itself in the metal wall, it had stayed in one piece. The structural integrity was there. _What was it Batgirl had said? 'We would never have to gather thrown bat-a-rangs again'? She may have been on to something. _

"I have to go," Batman passed Dr. Palmer and headed for the back door to the professor's lab, "Good work,"

"Oh, thank you!" It sounded like the professor wasn't expecting any sort of praise from the Dark Knight, "I assume you're in for a long ride back to Gotham?" His words were met with a flash of light outside in the quickly darkening night. Dr. Palmer rushed to the door in alarm but found no trace of Batman. He knew that the hero had a penchant for disappearing into the night, but to be on the receiving end of such a feat was unnerving, for there was nowhere for him to have gone so quickly.

Shaken, Dr. Palmer retreated into his lab once more and locked the back door. Though he knew that wouldn't stop Batman if he really wanted to get back inside. After he took a few more minutes to still his thumping heart, he went back to work. As he pulled back on his protective headgear, he caught the glimmer of something dark yet shiny under a stack of notes.

"What the-" Dr. Palmer moved the papers off the object and his heart skipped a beat. Lying on his table was a pristine bat-a-rang. Batman must have left it when he threw the demonstration piece. Ray smiled, "And now the fun begins,"

* * *

The Bowery. You could never find a more hidden and wretched hideout of scum in Gotham's East End. Despite it being so close to One Police Plaza, the Bowery was always a comforting home to the destitute and desperate. However, he wasn't destitute nor desperate. So why was he there? He had to be in control. Batman was going to meet with him and where better than the Bowery. Not as dangerous as the Narrows but still would keep the Dark Knight sufficiently on edge. Just in case.

The Question raised a lighter to the cigarette held between his lips and inhaled. He felt the cancer-causing tar fill his mouth and warm his innards. Nicotine, as damaging to the body as it was, always calmed his nerves. He'd tried quitting multiple times, but none of the clinics or support groups did him much good. And he'd be damned if he'd ever slap a patch on his skin. The adhesive on those patches were made to seep into the bloodstream and place nanobots within cells to track the cholesterol level of wearers. Why? He had no idea, yet, but answers would come in time.

"Smoking kills, you know," The darkness spoke and from out of the shadows, Batman stepped.

A few transients rushed off and across the poorly lit street a party of Jokerz scattered into the trash-littered alleyways. The Question kept his back to Batman and took a pained drag from his vice before pulling his faceless mask over his chin and flicking the barely used cigarette to the side and stamping it out with his shoe, "You're late,"

"Littering is a crime,"

The Question turned slowly, hands calmly at his side, "You're late," he said again, ignoring Batman's observation. What was the Dark Knight going to do? Knock him out and cart him off the One Police Plaza over a single cigarette butt? No, Batman needed him.

"I had business,"

"Of course,"

"You found what I asked?"

"Of course,"

Batman narrowed his eyes. It wasn't often he was on the receiving end of someone with as limited a vocabulary as him, but he began to see just how annoying repetitive and monosyllabic answers could be, "Well?"

"There is a Cadmus base to the north of old Gotham. Disguised as a multi-part industrial complex with various tenants, it's all just a front… as many things are,"

"Where?"

"Here," The Question unfolded an actual paper map of Gotham and pointed to the Diamond District, "It wasn't too hard to find. My connection was actually taken there after his friend was killed. I have my suspicions that the same winged stooge that plucked my man also ended his friend's life,"

"His friend was Harold Chen?"

The Question nodded, "Of course you would know of Mr. Chen's demise. It was a strange one,"

Batman walked by The Question and stared down a woman stumbling in their direction in a drunken manner. Once their eyes connected, her eyes widened and she promptly adjusted her direction, "He was killed by a radioactive blast on par with Atomic Skull's. But Atomic Skull has been holed up in Ryker's since his fight in Washington. The Birdman's our prime suspect for Chen's death,"

"He must be new to the silencing gig," The Question said, "You're never supposed to make it obvious that there was only one way to kill the person. You have to leave room for all possibilities. Get creative,"

Batman gave the odd man a look but if it affected The Question, it wasn't apparent, "Any idea what they are doing inside?"

"Who knows," The Question replied, "Genetic experiments, cloning, cosmetic animal testing, GMO plant growth. It's anyone's guess,"

"You didn't get inside?"

"How could I? I was being chased by the police then had to change my clothes. My own contact was taken, remember? All the information he carried from Chen along with his own information about within the building? Gone. He's probably been 'disappeared',"

A gunshot rang out in the distance and a few dogs began barking in response. Batman tensed up. He hated being in the Bowery. Even though the Narrows by and far more dangerous, the Narrows was at least also a larger area of land. The relatively small size of the Bowery meant that someone was always in danger, "Why did you choose to meet here?" Batman asked.

"The police," The Question simply replied, "Chief Lee has done a wonderful job of ousting many corrupt cops, but he still has a fair number under his belt that still take a bit from the side,"

"That's impossible," Batman countered, "The crime families have lost their foothold in the police force except for the most distant districts. And even those are being cleaned up under Montoya and Elden's watch,"

"All the obvious crime families, yes," The Question agreed, "But what is the biggest organized crime in this free country? One that monitors illegally, detains illegally, and kills remotely and without remorse?"

"You mean Cadmus,"

"The government, actually," The Question stuck his hands in his trenchcoat pockets, "But if it makes you feel better, then yes, Cadmus. For the better part of six months I've been tracking and tracing connections within various United States police forces to their shadowy overlords. Then you came along and offered me compensation for something I was more or less doing already," There was a tinge of merriment in his voice, "How could I resist? Do you have it?"

Batman narrowed his eyes at the faceless man's mirth but revealed a manila folder from behind his cape. He extended his hand to The Question, "Here. Of all the information I had access to, that this is what you asked was surprising,"

The Question reached out excitedly and grabbed the folder very quickly he began flipping through the loose pages, "Yes… yes… it's all here. Wonderful. Definitive proof of a 32nd flavor,"

"What does it matter?"

"What does it matter?" The Question glanced up at Batman, "If I was right about this crazed theory, what else am I right about? The magic bullet? Topically applied fluoride? Aglets?"

"There was no magic bullet; topically applied fluoride prevents tooth decay; aglets are just plastic bits on the end of laces to keep ends from fraying," Batman categorically addressed each concern.

"That's what they want us to think," The Question closed the folder with a snap and nodded at Batman once, "You have what you want. I have what I want. Where do we go from here?"

"I leave and you leave,"

"Just like that?"

Batman smiled slightly beneath his cowl, "Just like that,"

The Question was taken aback. He had been positive he'd be taken down and removed the equation. That's just how things were in his line of work. Perhaps he'd been too paranoid? No. Never.

Quick as a flash, he quipped out his gas gun and fired at the ground. Immediately, the area swarmed in swirling, dark smoke. He watched as Batman's dark form was quickly obscured by the gas but in those last moments, he caught the slight turn of the Dark Knight's head, "Sorry if I don't take your word for it, Batman,"

The Question bit into the rebreather held in his mask and took a breath from the recycled air. He had only had ten seconds of air, but he was sure that would be more than enough to escape the cloud and drive off. No doubt Batman would hunt him in Gotham, so he'd have to get out of town quickly. But then again, Batman more than likely was going to turn him in anyway.

He made his way carefully out of the gas and heard the hooting and hollering from the few unfortunate saps who'd been close enough to get a whiff of the stuff. It was one part nerve gas, two parts sleep gas. He'd specially designed it to knock out opponents without having to lift a finger. It had never failed before.

He exited the thick smoke and slipped into the alley across the street that hid his car. His fingers wrapped around the old-style handle and he twisted the latch to open the door.

"Apologies accepted," Batman's voice somehow, impossibly came from behind The Question.

In surprise, the faceless man spun: he was face to face with the Dark Knight. He let out a gasp despite himself and pressed himself against the unlocked door, "How did-"

"I'll give you a pass this time, but in the future I won't be so forgiving," Batman leaned over slightly, intruding on The Question's personal space. Even without facial features, Batman could tell the man had a shaken expression. After letting the moment linger a bit longer, Batman straightened up and fired his line launcher into the air. Within seconds, he was whisked away.

The Question let out a sigh of relief and slid down the door to his haunches. The Batman was truly a formidable foe. How had he escaped the gas? Perhaps the dispersal rate was too slow for someone with as sharp of reflexes as Batman. After all, he wasn't some bully criminal or some corporate stooge. Yes, that had to be it. But what was this about giving him a pass?

Obviously someone as smart and as loose cannon as himself only had their uses so far. Every person who'd hired him to do the dirtiest of digging tried to off him at some point by the end of the working relationship. Why wouldn't Batman try something similar?

Shaken, but still aware of his location, he rose to his feet and opened his car door. A week's worth of potato chip bags and ready-made noodle packages tumbled out and onto the floor. He ignored the mess and sat in the driver's seat to take off but as he reached for his eyes in his trenchcoat pocket, he felt something small and card-like. Nervously, he drew out the card and read it. On it was a simple pair of numbers, coordinates and a date; then below that, a sentence. He read it aloud, "'Justice League Membership invitation'? But, why?"

It was all very confusing and he needed tea. Not only to calm his nerves but to warm his skin. It was getting chilly.

* * *

Batman watched from his perch as the curious man in the faceless mask started his car and drove off.

"You're just letting him go?" Batgirl's voice came over the radio in his cowl.

"Are you done cleaning the parlor?"

"Been done for, like, thirty minutes. Contemplated heading out, but you went without us,"

"And Robin?"

"You know how many entrances here are in the sublevels and how thorough he can be. He's got at least another hour left,"

Batman was silent.

"So why are you working with that loony anyway? He seems to be a few apples short of a bunch,"

"He's a conspiracy buff," Batman agreed, "But he's what I need right now,"

"Why?"

"Remember what Wonder Woman and Superman said? I'm the face of the League, now. The new leader. I can't be breaking into government buildings, digging through trash and trespassing military bases… At least not as often. But he's someone who can,"

"Whatever will you do with your Thursday nights now?"

"Otisburg seems to be having an uptick in crime within the last hour," He growled at the girl on the other line, "Go check it out,"

"Alone?"

"You don't think you can handle it?"

"Fine,"

The call disconnected and again Batman was alone with his thoughts. He made his way to where he'd heard the gunshot earlier, acrobatically traversing the rooftops of the Bowery. No doubt the shooter was long gone, but considering that this _was_ the Bowery, they were probably still within the vile neigborhood's limits.

It took a few minutes, but he finally arrived at the spot and spread his cape out for a fast and quiet descent. The moment his feet touched the ground, he knew for sure he'd chosen correctly. There was a wet stickiness to the ground that wasn't bile nor spilled soda. The slight acrid smell of iron confirmed this and he stooped to examine the body.

Carefully, he rolled the dead man over and got a good look at him. It was a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, wearing glasses. A quick inspection of the man's arm revealed a trail of sins and sadness. Batman pulled the sleeve back down on the man and checked for an entry wound. He found one in the center of the man's chest.

"Clumsy. Fired at a short range, probably out of fear or desperation," _What else is new here?_ Batman checked the back of the man for an exit wound but found none. The bullet was still lodged in his torso. He would have called the police at this point, but this was the Bowery. Response speeds from the nearby precinct would be slow, assuming they have the manpower to even come out. Something was always happening in the Bowery. Even so, he sent an anonymous message to Goren Lee at One Police Plaza. Eventually the cops would get here. Hopefully by then he'd have more information.

He fired his grapnel gun up and zipped away from the streets. In the distance, a cat screeched as a few trash cans were knocked over. The Bowery was always loud, but that sound was unique. In midair, he changed direction. The brisk wind rushed over his cheeks sharply as he glided towards the sound. After a few seconds of travel, he released his cape and landed on a ledge overlooking a small enclave. Below, a fight ensued.

* * *

Batgirl pulled on her helmet and straddled her bike just as the turning platform aligned with the exit ramp. She'd finished the parlor and then been instructed by her mentor to suit up and head out. Apparently, Otisburg was facing an uptick in crime and it wasn't related to either gang. The Jokerz were too busy stockpiling arms per the Joker's orders, a bust that Batman would lead the police on next week, and the Mutant gang didn't yet have a foothold so far north.

"So what's the deal?"

She'd taken the liberty of pulling up the crime report of the last three days as it related to Otisburg. As she'd gotten dressed, she'd skimmed the datapoints. No murders, thankfully, but definitely a rise in assaults. All of the reported crimes seemed to center on a specific neighborhood within the region, so that would be her destination.

She fired off a text to Curtis. The poor boy was still below in the sublevels cleaning and locking up. It was a gargantuan task for one person to check every entrance and exit. Usually Batman would run a program to do it or task two people to do it. That he'd commanded Curtis alone to lock up was a sure sign he was upset about losing his protégé… even if he didn't want to admit it.

She placed her palm on the ignition and the bike roared to life. She felt the vibration of the powerful motor beneath her, like a beast coiled and waiting to spring out. So she gave the beast what it wanted. With the twist of her wrist, the Bat-Cycle rocketed out of the Batcave with a screech and it left behind only the smell of burnt rubber.

* * *

He hated this. He had been defeated. Beaten. Gotten so close to victory he could taste it. He could feel his success at hand and all that stood in his way was a motley crew of former heroes, vigilantes and a damn police chief. And yet, that was all it took to narrowly wrestle against him and snatch his victory from the jaws of defeat. It had been a year and he still couldn't contemplate just how much he had lost.

He felt sad. For the first time in a long time, he felt sad. His daughter had been killed. The former Batgirl had maintained that Talia had spilled her own blood and he barely believed her. Talia was his staunchest supporter. No, Ubu was his staunchest supporter. Talia was a close second. Even so, his daughter's death left him with the oddest feeling of sadness that he hadn't felt when even his son had passed away. But the very insinuation that in her final moments she'd cowardly taken her own life made him mad. The only reason he believed it was because otherwise it would have been the former commissioner's daughter who'd killed her and he knew she was strongly subscribed to the Detective's rigid moral code.

In one day and night, he'd lost his daughter, his standing, his organization, and his world. It had been the worst day of his life. And he'd had a lot of days. And to be bested in combat by not the Detective or even his lackeys, but by the bumbling fledgling of an archer? It just boiled his blood to think of how he'd fallen for such a dirty and obvious trick.

The door to his chamber rattled as a guard on the opposite end searched for the right key to open the feeding slot built into the heavy metal door. He'd been captured. He, the legendary and infamous Ra's al Ghul, had been captured. And for the better part of a year, he'd been holed up in Blackgate penitentiary. Broken.

"Alright, Ghoul," The uncultured man on the other end of the door butchered his name every time. He would have corrected the guard if he could, but did it matter? "Up and at 'em. Time for some grub,"

Ra's al Ghul pushed forward on the control stick and his motorized wheelchair drove forward at a consistent pace. He stopped just before the door and reached up for the tray being offered through the door. It was barely in his reach. The cells in Blackgate weren't exactly designed with the handicapped in mind. And that's what he was. Handicapped.

Finally, the fingers of his right hand hand curled over the rim and he brought it down to his lap. It wobbled under the strain of his still-injured muscles but he didn't spill even the slightest morsel. Now with the tray on his lap, he scrutinized his dinner. It was all mush but what was he expecting?

"The feeder will be with you soon, Ghoul," The guard on the other end barked a laugh, "Hope you don't mind the wait," His footsteps receded into silence.

Ras looked down at the food sitting idly on his lap and fumed. He hated having to wait. He hated having to be fed by a noname two-bit 'nutritionist' who didn't know the first thing about his unique dietary restrictions and needs.

He heard the nutritionist approach and the familiar jingle-jange of someone looking for a neglected key. Embarrassed, Ra's rolled back a little from the entryway, retreating further into his cell, and stared at his food. As the klutz on the other side of the steel door fiddled with the lock, he studied the mush and noticed a few plant leaves sticking out of the gruel.

The plant was familiar to him, he'd used in his own initiations: the leaves of a particular blue flower. He felt a small smile creep across his dry lips. A year of captivity and humiliation was almost at its end. He had been captured and cut off from his people for too long. While he would have some form of embarrassment to be seen in such a broken state, the healing juices of the Lazarus Pit would fix him and soon he'd be able to work on a new plan.

The door swung open and the nutritionist entered with two orderlies. A common procedure. However, though the orderlies were definitely familiar faces, the nutritionist was not. He wore glasses that rested just on the tip of his nose and his long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Around his neck was a peace medallion, just like what would have been common in the '60s. The man was tall and lanky but the mustachioed smile he wore put Ra's on edge.

"Well, hello there Mr. al Ghul," The nutritionist began, his voice soothing but oddly familiar, "My name is Dr. O'Neil. It's time for your feeding, are you ready?"

Ra's stared at the man's face, studying its various contours and features. Nix the mustache, he did have a familiarity about him.

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes', then," Dr. O'Neil approached the wheelchair-bound supercriminal, "Please, leave us," He spoke to the two orderlies, "I'm sure there's nothing Mr. al Ghul could do to harm me. Let's give the man a little pride,"

The two orderlies looked at each other uneasily but still left the doctor to do his work. As they left, Ra's finally was able to place the new doctor's face: Jean-Paul Valley. He would have spoken the name if he could have. Instead, an unintelligible grumble tumbled from between his withered lips.

Dr. O'Neil's eyes dulled and he smiled a real smile, more unsettling smile. He pulled up a chair and sat directly in front of Ra's, "So, you recognize me, old man. That's good. That's good," He took Ra's' tray onto his lap and slipped the spoon into the mush then raised the spoonful of leaf-littered mush to Ra's' dead lips, "Eat,"

Ra's al Ghul craned his neck forward and did his best to open his jaw and accept the food.

"There you go," Dr. O'Neil slipped the spoon between Ra's' lips and tilted it up and the mush slid into Ra's mouth.

In a split second, Ra's felt his body go numb and his eyes dilated. His stomach dropped and his hunger evaporated. This wasn't his plant. This wasn't his plan. As his sight and hearing faded, he got one last glimpse of Jean-Paul. The blond man was still wearing his frozen smile.


End file.
